<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>AMERICAblog NewsGay &#8211; AMERICAblog News</title>
	<atom:link href="https://americablog.com/category/gay/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://americablog.com</link>
	<description>A great nation deserves the truth</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:57:34 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.1</generator>
	<item>
		<title>Colin Powell&#8217;s mixed legacy</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/10/colin-powells-mixed-legacy.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/10/colin-powells-mixed-legacy.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 15:59:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Today&#8217;s show is all about Colin Powell&#8217;s death from complications associated with Covid, and his mixed legacy as an African-American trailblazer, who was the first Black US Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and National Security Adviser, who also had a few blots on his record, including his support for banning gays from [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/10/colin-powells-mixed-legacy.html">Colin Powell&#8217;s mixed legacy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Today&#8217;s show is all about Colin Powell&#8217;s death from complications associated with Covid, and his mixed legacy as an African-American trailblazer, who was the first Black US Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and National Security Adviser, who also had a few blots on his record, including his support for banning gays from the military (Powell successfully sabotaged President Clinton&#8217;s effort to repeal the gay ban), and his now-infamous speech to the United Nations justifying the second Iraq War by claiming that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, when he did not.</p>



<p>This is one of our premium episodes. You can listen to a free excerpt here, and then, if the spirit moves you,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/57551983" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">head on over to Patreon and become a patron</a>. Thanks so much.</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/d4f81ca0-35e7-41cf-bd1a-54a34bc6f6e4/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>



<p></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/10/colin-powells-mixed-legacy.html">Colin Powell&#8217;s mixed legacy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The History of Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/the-history-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/the-history-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Sep 2021 14:26:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Today&#8217;s podcast is an interview with Dixon Osburn, an old friend and colleague who was one of the key players in the repeal of the US military&#8217;s ban on gay service members, the infamous &#8220;Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell&#8221; policy. Dixon has a new book out about the history of DADT, &#8220;Mission Possible: The Story of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/the-history-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.html">The History of Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Today&#8217;s podcast is an interview with Dixon Osburn, an old friend and colleague who was one of the key players in the repeal of the US military&#8217;s ban on gay service members, the infamous &#8220;Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell&#8221; policy. Dixon has a new book out about the history of DADT, &#8220;Mission Possible: The Story of Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.&#8221; Dixon and I talk about the history of the gay ban, going back to the early 1900s, the adoption and implementation of DADT under President Clinton, and its ultimate repeal under President Obama. And finally, we close with a discussion of lessons learned that other movements can take away from the successful fight to repeal the gay ban.</p>



<p>This is one of our premium episodes. You can listen to a free excerpt here, and then, if the spirit moves you, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-417-history-56272276" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">head on over to Patreon and become a patron</a>. Thanks so much.</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/80918443-e7e5-4241-93dd-565686354c9c/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/the-history-of-dont-ask-dont-tell.html">The History of Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>As wholesome as Folsom: Alexander Cheves’ kinky and brilliant memoir, My Love Is a Beast: Confessions</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/as-wholesome-as-folsom-alexander-cheves-kinky-and-brilliant-memoir-my-love-is-a-beast-confessions.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/as-wholesome-as-folsom-alexander-cheves-kinky-and-brilliant-memoir-my-love-is-a-beast-confessions.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Sep 2021 16:49:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Andoe]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In his captivating memoir, famed sex columnist Alexander Cheves details his childhood as the football-playing son of evangelical Christians, growing up on a farm and doing missionary work. There are the universal queer experiences of adolescent sexual experimentation, unrequited crushes, and the fear of being exposed. But those are the calm parts of the roller [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/as-wholesome-as-folsom-alexander-cheves-kinky-and-brilliant-memoir-my-love-is-a-beast-confessions.html">As wholesome as Folsom: Alexander Cheves’ kinky and brilliant memoir, My Love Is a Beast: Confessions</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>In his <a href="https://www.unboundedition.com/queer-voices-essys/">captivating memoir</a>, famed sex columnist <a href="https://www.alexcheves.com/home">Alexander Cheves</a> details his childhood as the football-playing son of evangelical Christians, growing up on a farm and doing missionary work. There are the universal queer experiences of adolescent sexual experimentation, unrequited crushes, and the fear of being exposed. But those are the calm parts of the roller coaster just before your wig hits those behind you, soars out of the park and gets flattened by a Mack truck.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Cheves takes us on an unforgettable, hedonistic journey through Savannah, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Kink is his passion, his livelihood (both as a writer and a sex worker), and even his religion—and it’s hard to imagine a more effective evangelist.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>While there are a lot of very descriptive sex acts in this book, the intimacy lies in the author’s unflinching, masterful storytelling. You feel you&#8217;re on the next pillow as he bares his soul and shares his profound convictions and observations. Cheves is a millennial, but demonstrates a deep understanding of the generations before him. Who they are and how they were shaped. He also recognizes the unique moment in which he finds himself, at the dawning sexual revolution after decades of fear. His is a generation that recognizes the limits of labels, as the rigid LG and to a lesser extent B are declining in relevance with the rise of the T and the flexible Q. While he only writes of having sex with men, he has had opposite sex attraction and shares his regrets about not feeling he was permitted to explore those desires. And while he immerses us in a gay man’s world, he comfortably shares anecdotes of kink scenes involving more than one gender. In many ways Cheves is of his generation, but this hardcore memoir certainly flies in the face of the sanitized mores of his contemporaries. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img width="650" height="419" src="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-650x419.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-146803" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-650x419.jpg 650w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-300x193.jpg 300w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-200x129.jpg 200w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-768x495.jpg 768w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves-1536x990.jpg 1536w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/alexander-cheves.jpg 1692w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /><figcaption>Alexander Cheves by Jon Dean.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Promiscuous queer men are often portrayed of as cold, vapid and soulless, but Cheves introduces us to a brotherhood. After reading these pages, you’ll have no doubt of his love for his community, and you may see them in a new light.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Cheves’ publisher, <a href="https://www.unboundedition.com/">Unbound Edition Press</a>, is sending him on a <a href="https://www.unboundedition.com/unbound-edition-press-announces-fall-2021-book-tour-for-queer-authors/">10-city tour</a> with a stop in San Francisco on September 22nd, just in time for the <a href="https://www.folsomstreet.org/megahood2021">Folsom Street Fair</a>. His tribe awaits his beastly embrace.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>Chris Andoe is the author of </em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Villadiva-Chris-Andoe-ebook/dp/B094RJKFPR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1623277744&amp;sr=8-2#detailBullets_feature_div">House of Villadiva</a><em> and</em> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Delusions-Grandeur-Hundred-Tales-Emperor/dp/0692470778">Delusions of Grandeur: A few hundred tales from the Emperor of St. Louis</a>.<em>&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/09/as-wholesome-as-folsom-alexander-cheves-kinky-and-brilliant-memoir-my-love-is-a-beast-confessions.html">As wholesome as Folsom: Alexander Cheves’ kinky and brilliant memoir, My Love Is a Beast: Confessions</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lindsey Graham (R-Hot Mess)</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/lindsey-graham-r-hot-mess.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/lindsey-graham-r-hot-mess.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:06:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[filibuster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gun control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lindsey Graham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UnPresidented]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146528</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In today&#8217;s podcast, Cliff and I talk about Lindsey Graham having the vapors of the new omnibus LGBT rights legislation in Congress, then we talk about guns, the filibuster, immigration, and some concerns we have about Biden&#8217;s new tax bill &#8212; it just might hit the middle class, including you and me &#8212; and why [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/lindsey-graham-r-hot-mess.html">Lindsey Graham (R-Hot Mess)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>In today&#8217;s podcast, Cliff and I talk about Lindsey Graham having the vapors of the new omnibus LGBT rights legislation in Congress, then we talk about guns, the filibuster, immigration, and some concerns we have about Biden&#8217;s new tax bill &#8212; it just might hit the middle class, including you and me &#8212; and why we think that&#8217;s a problem.</p>



<p>This is one of our premium episodes. You can hear a half hour below for free,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/49187649" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">then become a patron over at Patreon</a>&nbsp;to hear the rest of our show, and support independent media like us. Thanks so much.</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/43f9721f-aeef-4d09-bc64-2590545a3019/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/lindsey-graham-r-hot-mess.html">Lindsey Graham (R-Hot Mess)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Asian-Americans pay the price for Trump&#8217;s hate</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/asian-americans-pay-the-price-for-trumps-hate.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/asian-americans-pay-the-price-for-trumps-hate.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2021 17:05:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asian-Americans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CyberDisobedience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hate crimes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146525</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The deadly attack on three Asian-American-run massage parlors in Atlanta, killing eight people, six of whom were Asian women, has put the spotlight yet again on the rise in violence against Asian-Americans over the last year. Subscribe now The police say it’s still too early to know whether the Atlanta attack was racially-motivated, but regardless [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/asian-americans-pay-the-price-for-trumps-hate.html">Asian-Americans pay the price for Trump&#8217;s hate</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The deadly attack on three Asian-American-run massage parlors in Atlanta, killing eight people, six of whom were Asian women, has put the spotlight yet again on the rise in violence against Asian-Americans over the last year.</p>



<p><a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=subscribe-widget&amp;utm_content=33840500">Subscribe now</a></p>



<p>The police say it’s still too early to know whether the Atlanta attack was racially-motivated, but regardless of motive, the recent increase in attacks against people of Asian descent seems undeniable.</p>



<ul><li>Eighty-four-year-old Vichar Ratanapakdee was taking his morning walk in San Francisco when he was shoved to the ground. Two days later, he died.</li><li>A 61-year-old Filipino man had his face slashed with a pair of box cutters on the New York City subway.</li><li>A Burmese family was stabbed inside a Texas Sam’s club.</li><li>A 91-year-old Asian man was shoved to the ground in Oakland, California’s Chinatown.</li><li>On the New York City subway, a man slapped a Chinese-American woman’s hands, threatened to throw his lighter at her, then called her a “ch*nk bitch,” and told her to “get the f*ck out of NYC.”</li></ul>



<p>Many of the altercations are verbal. In California, a Chinese-American woman was jogging when a man pulled up beside her and yelled “Coronavirus!” And a man on the DC subway shouted “Chinese bitch” at an Asian-American woman; then coughed at, and physically threatened, her and her boyfriend.</p>



<p>There were 3,800 anti-Asian incidents recorded in the US over the year of the pandemic, ranging from racist speech to physical assaults — 68% of which were directed against against Asian-American women. And the NYPD reports that anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City jumped 1,900% in 2020.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/p/asian-hate-crime-trump"><strong>READ MORE &#8212;> &#8212;> Read the rest of this story over at CyberDisobedience, thanks. And please consider signing up for my newsletter over there.</strong></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2021/03/asian-americans-pay-the-price-for-trumps-hate.html">Asian-Americans pay the price for Trump&#8217;s hate</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cong.-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Trump, Biden and 2021</title>
		<link>https://elections.americablog.com/2020/12/cong-elect-ritchie-torres-d-ny-on-trump-biden-and-2021.html</link>
		<comments>https://elections.americablog.com/2020/12/cong-elect-ritchie-torres-d-ny-on-trump-biden-and-2021.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 19:44:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2020 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[African-Americans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pete Buttigieg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ritchie Torres]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UnPresidented]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146379</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Rising Democratic star Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) joins us to talk about his recent election to Congress as the first African-American and Latino member of Congress to be openly-gay, his views on Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, the transition, the stimulus bill, and his legislative goals for 2021. He&#8217;s such an impressive guy. You [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2020/12/cong-elect-ritchie-torres-d-ny-on-trump-biden-and-2021.html">Cong.-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Trump, Biden and 2021</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Rising Democratic star Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) joins us to talk about his recent election to Congress as the first African-American and Latino member of Congress to be openly-gay, his views on Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, the transition, the stimulus bill, and his legislative goals for 2021. He&#8217;s such an impressive guy.</p>



<p>You can watch the Zoom-video version and the audio-only version below.</p>



<p>This is one of our free podcasts.To hear the rest of our shows, and support our work, please consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/join/UnPresidentedPodcast?" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">becoming a patron over at Patreon</a>, thanks.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Cong.-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Trump, Biden and 2021" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EW6exmG9UiI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>And here is the podcast version:</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/8290a173-55e3-4e53-b5f8-5a0f7a3b73da/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2020/12/cong-elect-ritchie-torres-d-ny-on-trump-biden-and-2021.html">Cong.-elect Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on Trump, Biden and 2021</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will there ever be a gay Cabinet secretary?</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/will-there-ever-be-a-gay-cabinet-secretary.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/will-there-ever-be-a-gay-cabinet-secretary.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:15:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cabinet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pete Buttigieg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>There has never been an openly-gay (or transgender, for that matter) US Cabinet secretary. And it’s not clear that we’re getting one now. Why does it even matter? Read on. Over the past 30 years, gays have gone from being considered a federal workforce security risk — I passed the Foreign Service Exam in 1989 [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/will-there-ever-be-a-gay-cabinet-secretary.html">Will there ever be a gay Cabinet secretary?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff1ebe469-1da7-483f-9bfd-1c572f7a9e64_990x368.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff1ebe469-1da7-483f-9bfd-1c572f7a9e64_990x368.png" alt="" width="291" height="108"/></a></figure>



<p>There has never been an openly-gay (or transgender, for that matter) US Cabinet secretary. And it’s not clear that we’re getting one now. Why does it even matter? Read on.</p>



<p>Over the past 30 years, gays have gone from being considered a federal workforce security risk — I passed the Foreign Service Exam in 1989 and didn’t follow my life’s dream of becoming a diplomat because I feared I’d be kicked out for being gay — to serving as ambassadors and other senior administration positions. But we never made it to the president’s Cabinet until Donald Trump appointed Richard Grenell acting Director of National Intelligence — a Cabinet-<em>level</em>&nbsp;position, though not a Cabinet secretary.</p>



<p>There are currently 23 members of Trump’s Cabinet, including the Vice President, 14 Cabinet secretaries and the Attorney General, and 7 Cabinet-level appointees (who are not secretaries, but are considered Cabinet level, such as the White House Chief of Staff, the US Trade Representative, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the CIA, etc.).</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=subscribe-widget&amp;utm_content=24534973">Subscribe now</a></p>



<p>There was a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/biden-administration-track-be-most-lgbtq-inclusive-u-s-history-n1250010">glowing article</a>&nbsp;at NBC News about the record number of LGBT people that Biden is appointing. But is he really? If you’re non-binary, Biden is reportedly thinking of hiring someone non-binary in the administration. And that’s certainly an advance for non-binary people, but it’s not an advance for gay people, who got those kind of mid-level appointments thirty years ago.</p>



<p>For gay people, this feels like a flashback to the 1990s, when President Bill Clinton appointed the first-ever openly-gay senior members of a presidential administration, including an ambassador (James Hormel to Luxembourg), the head of the Export-Import Bank (Fred Hochberg), an assistant secretary (Robert Achtenberg at HUD), and a not-quite-out-not-quite-in Cabinet secretary (so they don’t count, as they’ve refused to be acknowledged publicly). Those were all amazing advances in their day. But flash forward to 2021, and there has still never been an openly-gay Secretary of an agency in any administration, Democrat or Republican, nor has a Democratic president ever appointed someone gay to a Cabinet-level post. (There has also never been an openly-gay Supreme Court nominee; and while other minority groups jockey for a position on that court, the gays aren’t even in consideration).</p>



<p>Which takes us the question: Why does it matter how many Blacks, Latinos or LGBT people Biden appoints to top positions? &#8230;.</p>



<p>You can read the rest of my article over at my <a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/p/will-there-ever-be-a-gay-cabinet">new Substack newsletter, CyberDisobedience</a>, thanks.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/will-there-ever-be-a-gay-cabinet-secretary.html">Will there ever be a gay Cabinet secretary?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Covid Pietà</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/the-covid-pieta.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/the-covid-pieta.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2020 18:18:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AIDS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coronavirus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HIV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146360</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Americans aren’t “hardened” to Coronavirus deaths. For most of us, the deaths were never real in the first place. Sure, if you lived in New York City, you probably knew people who got seriously ill, or worse. Still, even many New Yorkers went back to business as usual once the perceived threat had abated. But [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/the-covid-pieta.html">The Covid Pietà</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F191695bd-44f6-4810-892a-4f2c20566ddc_1028x304.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F191695bd-44f6-4810-892a-4f2c20566ddc_1028x304.png" alt="" width="384" height="113"/></a></figure>



<p>Americans aren’t “hardened” to Coronavirus deaths. For most of us, the deaths were never real in the first place. Sure, if you lived in New York City, you probably knew people who got seriously ill, or worse. Still, even many New Yorkers went back to business as usual once the perceived threat had abated. But what about the rest of us?</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=subscribe-widget&amp;utm_content=23451016">Subscribe now</a></p>



<p>I knew one woman who died early on, a friend of a friend in NYC who I’d met a few times over dinner. Other than her, nothing close to home until last week, when my cousin’s husband in Oklahoma almost died of Covid. Also a week ago, my sister in Chicago told me her high school friend was on death’s door from Covid, not expected to recover. After nearly nine months of this virus, it’s only begun to become real for a lot of Americans.</p>



<p>But that’s not the only reason that America’s 285,000+ recorded Coronavirus deaths aren’t weighing as heavily on the American mind. Because of the very nature of this virus, the deaths it causes are hidden from view. Even family members often aren’t present when their loved ones pass. But America was offered a rare glimpse of the virus’ human toll last month when Dr. Joseph Varon shared a photo of an elderly Covid patient he was comforting like a modern-day&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet%C3%A0_(Michelangelo)">Pietà</a>. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Doctor seen comforting elderly COVID-19 patient in heartbreaking photo speaks <a href="https://t.co/sPiXIbRzWZ">https://t.co/sPiXIbRzWZ</a></p>&mdash; Joseph Varon (@joevaron) <a href="https://twitter.com/joevaron/status/1335782937992843269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>For those familiar with the early years of the AIDS crisis, the image of Dr. Varon immediately evoked memories of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.life.com/history/behind-the-picture-the-photo-that-changed-the-face-of-aids/">Therese Frare’s haunting and game-changing photo</a>&nbsp;of David Kirby being mourned by his grieving family on his deathbed in 1990. Frare’s photo is credited with humanizing AIDS for nearly one billion people worldwide.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68154dc8-451e-459a-bc92-04b9cf469f84_800x486.jpeg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F68154dc8-451e-459a-bc92-04b9cf469f84_800x486.jpeg" alt=""/></a></figure>



<p>“There’s no question that photos increase people’s ability to be compassionate,” said Alan Klein, an early member of ACT UP/NY, who is now a communications and technology consultant. “It brings it to your living room so you can identify with it.”</p>



<p>The Italian clothing company Benetton, with the Kirby family’s permission, (in)famously used the photo in a controversial ad campaign in 1992 that was met with outrage from many AIDS activists, but which I find, at least in retrospect, brilliant. Oliviero Toscani, former Creative Director, Benetton Group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxaCvvPr98E&amp;feature=emb_title">explains</a>:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“I don’t think that AIDS activists were more activist than me, that’s the point…. I had a big company investing money to make AIDS aware in the world…. Tell you client to do that, my dear friend from Advertising — tell your client to do that, to invest in a problem we should be solving.”</p></blockquote>



<p>David Kirby’s father, reflecting on the controversy over twenty years later in 2012, told photographer Therese Frare:</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“‘Listen, Therese. Benetton didn’t use us, or exploit us. We used them. Because of them, your photo was seen all over the world, and that’s exactly what David wanted.”</p></blockquote>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0d0c9e0-2826-47ec-bdce-b8445c456bbd_1392x982.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0d0c9e0-2826-47ec-bdce-b8445c456bbd_1392x982.png" alt=""/></a></figure>



<p>David Kirby’s very-public death was followed by a spree of post-mortem AIDS activism, including a number of AIDS funerals focused on the White House. The ashes of young men lost to the disease were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c3a7a1527a5b5c613be684fbff9e2f7">thrown over the White House fence</a> over the years, and even a few dead bodies were brought to the White House gates, <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/aids-activists-participate-in-a-protest-march-by-opening-news-photo/51667715?adppopup=true">including that of Steve Michael</a>, founder of the Washington, DC chapter of ACT UP&#8230;.</p>



<p>To read the rest of this story, please head on over to <a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/p/the-covid-piet">my new Substack newsletter, CyberDisobedience</a>, thanks.</p>



<p><a href="https://cyberdisobedience.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=subscribe-widget&amp;utm_content=23451016">Subscribe now</a><a href="https://twitter.com/FacesOfCOVID/status/1335316979624894465?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/the-covid-pieta.html">The Covid Pietà</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Trans 101: An introduction to transgender issues, with guest Dana Beyer</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/trans-101-an-introduction-to-transgender-issues-with-guest-dana-beyer.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/trans-101-an-introduction-to-transgender-issues-with-guest-dana-beyer.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 23:57:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dana Beyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UnPresidented]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146350</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>My longtime friend and colleague, Dana Beyer, who is a trans woman, joins us to talk about all things transgender. Cliff and I approached this episode from the perspective that there are no dumb questions. Dana heartily agreed. So, hopefully, you&#8217;ll learn something new about an issue that&#8217;s increasingly in the news. We talk about [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/trans-101-an-introduction-to-transgender-issues-with-guest-dana-beyer.html">Trans 101: An introduction to transgender issues, with guest Dana Beyer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>My longtime friend and colleague, Dana Beyer, who is a trans woman, joins us to talk about all things transgender. </p>



<p>Cliff and I approached this episode from the perspective that there are no dumb questions. Dana heartily agreed. So, hopefully, you&#8217;ll learn something new about an issue that&#8217;s increasingly in the news. We talk about the JK Rowling controversy, pronouns, the notion that some people are &#8220;non-binary,&#8221; and the difficulty of even discussing trans issues without fearing you&#8217;re using the wrong vocabulary or saying something offensive. </p>



<p>It was a really long talk, but also really interesting. Dana is so knowledgeable and enjoyable. I think you&#8217;ll enjoy this one. </p>



<p>This is one of our free podcasts. To check out the rest of our episodes, and support our work, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/join/UnPresidentedPodcast">please become a patron over at Patreon.</a></p>



<p>Here&#8217;s the Zoom video of the episode, and below is the audio-only version:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Trans 101: An introduction to transgender issues, with guest Dana Beyer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z32RthlF7Ng?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>And here is the audio-only podcast version:</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/b1294b89-796f-4709-9cb8-b4c000fd8cb7/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/12/trans-101-an-introduction-to-transgender-issues-with-guest-dana-beyer.html">Trans 101: An introduction to transgender issues, with guest Dana Beyer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Today&#8217;s landmark LGBT Supreme Court decision explained by Fordham Law Prof. Jed Shugerman</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/06/todays-landmark-lgbt-supreme-court-decision-explained-by-fordham-law-prof-jed-shugerman.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2020/06/todays-landmark-lgbt-supreme-court-decision-explained-by-fordham-law-prof-jed-shugerman.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2020 22:11:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2020 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ENDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supreme court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://americablog.com/?p=146008</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Fordham Law Professor Jed Shugerman explains the Supreme Court's historic LGBT rights decision outlawing job discrimination against gay and trans people.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/06/todays-landmark-lgbt-supreme-court-decision-explained-by-fordham-law-prof-jed-shugerman.html">Today&#8217;s landmark LGBT Supreme Court decision explained by Fordham Law Prof. Jed Shugerman</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The Supreme Court&#8217;s sweeping and historic LGBT rights decision making employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people illegal across the United States, as explained by Fordham Law Professor Jed Shugerman.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s today&#8217;s episode of the UnPresidented Podcast.</p>



<p>You can listen to a 45-minute excerpt of the 90-minute interview below. And subscribers can listen to the <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/38273738">entire interview here</a>, or watch the <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/38274063">Zoom version of the interview here</a>.</p>



<iframe src="https://www.art19.com/shows/a3531870-5d1d-41e3-b12b-9cae68082e63/episodes/4b6de3a6-72bd-4ca7-9264-4c30d9a0c2df/embed" style="width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>



<p></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2020/06/todays-landmark-lgbt-supreme-court-decision-explained-by-fordham-law-prof-jed-shugerman.html">Today&#8217;s landmark LGBT Supreme Court decision explained by Fordham Law Prof. Jed Shugerman</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pete Buttigieg is a bad gay? Here we go again.</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-is-a-bad-gay-here-we-go-again.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-is-a-bad-gay-here-we-go-again.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2019 22:13:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ENDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equality act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pete Buttigieg\]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americablog.com/?p=145533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As part of the never-ending rewriting of history that seems soldered into the genes of some self-proclaimed &#8220;woke&#8221; lefties, the largest victory in LGBT rights history &#8212; marriage equality &#8212; is now a sign of all that is wrong with the gays. In a piece in Buzzfeed today, Shannon Keating explained how marriage equality (evil) [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-is-a-bad-gay-here-we-go-again.html">Pete Buttigieg is a bad gay? Here we go again.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>As part of the never-ending rewriting of history that seems soldered into the genes of some self-proclaimed &#8220;woke&#8221; lefties, the largest victory in LGBT rights history &#8212; marriage equality &#8212; is now a sign of all that is wrong with the gays. </p>



<p>In a piece in Buzzfeed today, Shannon Keating explained how marriage equality (evil) got us Pete Buttigieg (even more evil) and how all our progressive dreams will now end up on the ash heap of history all because we let the gays marry. </p>



<p>Jerry Falwell couldn&#8217;t have said it better.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s difficult to know where to begin with Keating&#8217;s argument. It&#8217;s a long article that is part of a larger repertoire of woke anti-gay literature of late in the mainstream straight press. (Straight media really has a thing for gay writers bashing fellow gays. And while Fox News came up with the dynamic decades ago, it&#8217;s the straight mainstream publications who have raised it to an art form of late.) </p>



<p>But it didn&#8217;t start there. Some on the far left have long hated mainstream gay, now LGBT, politics. The idea of fighting for the right to marry, or join the military, was anathema to the fringes of LGBT activism. Some called these &#8220;white men&#8217;s issues,&#8221; even though <a href="https://www.alamy.com/angelisa-young-r-and-sinjolya-townsend-the-first-gay-couple-to-wed-in-the-district-of-columbia-exchange-vows-at-their-wedding-ceremony-at-the-human-rights-campaign-building-in-washington-on-march-9-2010-rev-david-k-north-c-pastor-of-the-holy-redeemer-metro-community-church-administers-the-ceremony-in-december-2009-the-dc-council-approved-a-bill-that-would-allow-for-same-sex-marriages-to-be-performed-in-the-district-today-same-sex-couples-were-able-to-obtain-marriage-licenses-they-applied-for-last-week-and-proceed-with-wedding-ceremonies-upialexis-c-glenn-image258498206.html">the first gay couple</a> married in DC was black and lesbian. For others, the notion of fighting to join the institutions of our oppressors was simply too &#8220;mainstream&#8221; &#8212; who wants to be like the heteros, after all? And in any case, this crowd never wanted to marry or join the Marines anyway, so why should they fight for someone else&#8217;s right to join two institutions they loathe?</p>



<p>Which takes us back to Pete Buttigieg biggest &#8220;problem&#8221; for this crowd: He&#8217;s a white gay man, and not, in Keating&#8217;s own words, &#8220;your typical orgy-attending, polyamorous Brooklyn bottom queen.&#8221; Keating devotes an awful lot of time to the fact of Buttigieg&#8217;s maleness, whiteness, and his Christian faith. It seems to really bother her. And that too is telling. Understandably, a lot of gays have issues with religion, having grown up in families who turned against them because of faith. So I get that. But lots of other LGBT people are people of faith, and their beliefs deserve just much respect as the atheists and agnostics. (Keating also fails to even acknowledge that faith is potentially one hell of a political weapon when wielded by a Democrat, let alone a gay one.) </p>



<p>Pete&#8217;s other &#8220;problem,&#8221; that he&#8217;s a gay white man, has deep roots in the woker-than-thou left. Lots of newer LGBT activists have outright animus towards white gay men, claiming, among other things, that white gay men never did anything for the LGBT movement when, in many cases, they carried the lion&#8217;s share of the activist burden, including sacrificing their lives.</p>



<p>The final, and larger point, underlying Keating&#8217;s broadside against Buttigieg is that she, like many on the left fringe, would rather the LGBT rights movement not focus on LGBT rights at all. They&#8217;ve long tried to hijack LGBT groups for their own non-gay non-bi non-lesbian and non-trans policy goals, from immigration to poverty to the conflict in the Middle East. All important issues, to be sure, but we have lots of groups and advocates already working on them, and just as importantly, they&#8217;re not <em>LGBT issues</em>. It&#8217;s fine for LGBT groups to join and support larger progressive coalitions on various non-LGBT issues, and they do, but these activists would rather we jettison LGBT issues entirely, and instead devote our entire movement to everyone else&#8217;s cause but our own. </p>



<p>Here&#8217;s Keating in her own words: &#8220;Where Buttigieg has fallen short in queer leftists’ eyes, however, is on issues that don’t necessarily have an obvious connection to LGBTQ rights, but nonetheless radically impact the lives of LGBTQ people, like health care, housing, and education.&#8221;</p>



<p>As someone who has been working on LGBT rights at the national level for over a quarter of a century, I&#8217;m all too familiar with the everything-but-gay crowd &#8212; the people who think the only way to advance LGBT rights is not to work on our issues at all. But what they&#8217;re practicing isn&#8217;t wokeness, it&#8217;s cultural appropriation. They&#8217;ve witnessed the remarkable success of the LGBT rights movement, and they want some of that mojo for their own non-LGBT pet cause. In Keating&#8217;s case, health care, housing and education. And far easier than replicating our success is to simply steal it.</p>



<p>(And before anyone argues, as some have, that immigration, for example, is an LGBT issue because 3% of immigrants are LGBT, then Trump&#8217;s tax cuts for the rich are an LGBT issue because 3% of the rich are LGBT. It&#8217;s a specious argument by which every issue ends up LGBT, and thereby, none.)</p>



<p>All the while, ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, banning job discrimination against LGBT people under federal law), goes nowhere. The battle to end the ban on trans people in the military is forgotten. And the <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-equality-act">Equality Act </a>(an omnibus LGBT civil rights act that incorporates ENDA, public accommodations, and other protections), relatively new legislation that is now gaining momentum, is all but an after-thought to Keating and her post-LGBT brethren.</p>



<p>In the end, Shannon Keating thinks Pete Buttigieg is a bad gay because it helps her cause. A cause that unfortunately has little to do with advancing the civil rights of actual LGBT people.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-is-a-bad-gay-here-we-go-again.html">Pete Buttigieg is a bad gay? Here we go again.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buttigieg calls out Trump for draft-dodging &#038; attacking McCain</title>
		<link>https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/buttigieg-calls-out-trump-for-draft-dodging-attacking-mccain.html</link>
		<comments>https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/buttigieg-calls-out-trump-for-draft-dodging-attacking-mccain.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2019 18:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2020 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pete Buttigieg\]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americablog.com/?p=145147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg called out Donald Trump yesterday for his ongoing criticism of John McCain. In a tweet, Buttigieg not only said that we should &#8220;honor&#8221; McCain as &#8220;a war hero,&#8221; but the openly-gay candidate also noted that Trump dodged the draft in Vietnam with a &#8220;faked disability.&#8221; Trump got four draft deferments [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/buttigieg-calls-out-trump-for-draft-dodging-attacking-mccain.html">Buttigieg calls out Trump for draft-dodging &#038; attacking McCain</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg called out Donald Trump yesterday for his ongoing criticism of John McCain.</p>



<p>In a tweet, Buttigieg not only said that we should &#8220;honor&#8221; McCain as &#8220;a war hero,&#8221; but the openly-gay candidate also noted that Trump dodged the draft in Vietnam with a &#8220;faked disability.&#8221; Trump got four draft deferments during Vietnam: Four for college, and one for allegedly having &#8220;bone spurs&#8221; on his feet.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img width="437" height="221" src="http://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/by-default-2019-03-21-at-1.53.35-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145149" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/by-default-2019-03-21-at-1.53.35-PM.jpg 437w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/by-default-2019-03-21-at-1.53.35-PM-200x101.jpg 200w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/by-default-2019-03-21-at-1.53.35-PM-300x152.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 437px) 100vw, 437px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/26/us/politics/trump-vietnam-draft-exemption.html?login=email&amp;auth=login-email">The NYT reported</a> last year that two daughters of the doctor who certified Trump&#8217;s alleged-bone-spurs have now gone public to say their father faked the diagnosis as a favor to Trump&#8217;s father.</p>



<p>Buttigieg&#8217;s tweet comes in response to Trump&#8217;s repeated attacks on McCain this week for voting against Trump&#8217;s efforts to &#8220;repeal &amp; replace&#8221; Obamacare, and, oddly, for not thanking Trump for his funeral (contrary to Trump&#8217;s assertions, he had no role in McCain&#8217;s funeral other than flying McCain&#8217;s body back to Washington). Cindy McCain reported that she has received vulgar threats as a result of Trump&#8217;s latest tirade.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump today criticized John McCain for not thanking Trump for giving him such a nice funeral.<br><br>Not joking. <a href="https://t.co/Vuagow7RDS">pic.twitter.com/Vuagow7RDS</a></p>— John Aravosis <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f1fa-1f1f8.png" alt="🇺🇸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@aravosis) <a href="https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1108481927181418496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>Buttigieg&#8217;s tweet about Trump/McCain is interesting on multiple levels. Buttigieg clearly wants to run a positive campaign. He was recently dubbed the Mr. Rogers of Democratic politics, for his calming demeanor. And a recent job posting on his campaign Web site even asks for candidates who are &#8220;kind people.&#8221; Thus it&#8217;s interesting that Buttigieg would highlight Trump having dodged the draft, as that could be interpreted as going-negative.</p>



<p>Having said that, there are multiple advantages to this strategy:</p>



<ol><li>While negative, Buttigieg&#8217;s criticism of Trump is fair and accurate, and it&#8217;s being made in an effort to argue that we should focus on more positive goals, such as the future of our country.</li><li>It&#8217;s red meat for the Democratic base, which is overwhelmed by a plethora of riches in terms of qualified presidential candidates. So this just may help Buttigieg get noticed, showing Democrats that Buttigieg is willing and able to take on Trump.</li><li>Buttigieg himself served in Afghanistan, and this attack lends itself to contrasting Buttigieg&#8217;s service-to-country with Trump&#8217;s lack thereof.</li></ol>



<p>There&#8217;s another big benefit to this attack, that I doubt Buttigieg has overlooked: It may just goad Trump into responding, giving Buttigieg an even higher national profile than he already has.</p>



<p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/buttigiegablog?refcode=twitter&amp;amount=20.20"><strong>You can chip in to support Pete Buttigieg&#8217;s campaign here</strong></a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/buttigieg-calls-out-trump-for-draft-dodging-attacking-mccain.html">Buttigieg calls out Trump for draft-dodging &#038; attacking McCain</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic debates</title>
		<link>https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/help-mayor-pete-buttigieg-qualify-for-the-democratic-debates.html</link>
		<comments>https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/help-mayor-pete-buttigieg-qualify-for-the-democratic-debates.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:01:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2020 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pete Buttigieg\]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americablog.com/?p=145125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic presidential debates. He needs 65,000 donors from 20 states to qualify. Helps us break this LGBT glass ceiling. Please donate to Mayor Pete &#38; share. Thanks so much. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a fresh and exciting new voice in Democratic politics. He&#8217;s an openly-gay [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/help-mayor-pete-buttigieg-qualify-for-the-democratic-debates.html">Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic debates</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic presidential debates. He needs 65,000 donors from 20 states to qualify. Helps us break this LGBT glass ceiling. <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/buttigiegablog?refcode=web&amp;amount=20.20"><strong>Please donate to Mayor Pete &amp; share</strong></a>. Thanks so much. <br></p>



<p>South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a fresh and exciting new voice in Democratic politics.</p>



<p>He&#8217;s an openly-gay millennial, a military vet who served in Afghanistan, and an unabashed liberal from a decidedly red state. Mayor Pete minces no words when taking on Republicans (below, he takes down Mike Pence a few days ago on CNN), and he wants to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic presidential debates. He needs 65,000 donors from 20 states to qualify. Helps us break this LGBT glass ceiling. Please donate to Mayor Pete &amp; share. Thanks so much. <a href="https://t.co/RObLg1Hv64">https://t.co/RObLg1Hv64</a> <a href="https://t.co/RahfyQrd9d">pic.twitter.com/RahfyQrd9d</a></p>&mdash; John Aravosis <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f1fa-1f1f8.png" alt="🇺🇸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@aravosis) <a href="https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1105466747178676224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>




<p>But that won&#8217;t happen unless Buttitieg qualifies for the Democratic presidential debates by receiving donations from at least 65,000 unique donors, with a minimum of 200 unique donors per state in at least 20 states. Please use this page to make a donation and put Pete on the stage.</p>



<p>A lot of us haven&#8217;t decided who we want to support in 2020. But one thing is sure, if you listen to Pete Buttitieg, you&#8217;ll be impressed. He&#8217;s great on climate, guns, trade, foreign policy, health care, immigration and civil rights. President Obama even called Pete one of four Democrats who represent the future of the Democratic party.</p>



<p>And finally, as a gay man, I&#8217;m excited to see a serious LGBT candidate finally running for the presidency. Yet another glass ceiling is being broken.</p>



<p>Pete&#8217;s is a voice we need at the Democratic presidential debates. <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/buttigiegablog?refcode=web&amp;amount=20.20"><strong>Please donate now</strong></a> to help ensure that Mayor Pete Buttitieg has enough donors to qualify for the Democratic debates.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2019/03/help-mayor-pete-buttigieg-qualify-for-the-democratic-debates.html">Help Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualify for the Democratic debates</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Karen Pence is a bigot</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2019/01/karen-pence-is-a-bigot.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2019/01/karen-pence-is-a-bigot.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2019 17:09:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karen Pence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lindsey Graham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shutdown]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americablog.com/?p=145021</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In today&#8217;s UnPresidented podcast we delve into the latest shutdown updates and a few LGBT stories in the news, including Mike Pence&#8217;s wife Karen&#8217;s decision to work at a virulently homophobic school that bans gay students and parents (and presumably teachers), and the latest brouhaha over whether Lindsey Graham is gay and whether it should [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2019/01/karen-pence-is-a-bigot.html">Karen Pence is a bigot</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>In today&#8217;s UnPresidented podcast we delve into the latest shutdown updates and a few LGBT stories in the news, including Mike Pence&#8217;s wife Karen&#8217;s decision to work at a virulently homophobic school that bans gay students and parents (and presumably teachers), and the latest brouhaha over whether Lindsey Graham is gay and whether it should matter (I think it does).</p>



<p>This is a 10-minute excerpt, below, of the 79-minute podcast. To hear the entire episode, and support our work, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/24064876">please become a patron over at Patreon</a>.</p>



<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/561006738&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true&#038;visual=true"></iframe>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2019/01/karen-pence-is-a-bigot.html">Karen Pence is a bigot</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rosie O&#8217;Donnell on Trump, Kavanaugh, the Apprentice tapes, Mueller, leaving The View, growing up gay, and the elections</title>
		<link>https://americablog.com/2018/09/rosie-odonnell-on-trump-kavanaugh-the-apprentice-tapes-mueller-leaving-the-view-growing-up-gay-and-the-elections.html</link>
		<comments>https://americablog.com/2018/09/rosie-odonnell-on-trump-kavanaugh-the-apprentice-tapes-mueller-leaving-the-view-growing-up-gay-and-the-elections.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Sep 2018 19:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brett Kavanaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elizabeth Hasselbeck]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Mueller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rosie O'Donnell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rudy Giuliani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supreme court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The View]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144850</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Cliff and I had a great conversation with Rosie O&#8217;Donnell about a whole slew of subjects, including the origins of her long-running feud with Donald Trump (&#8220;he&#8217;s a carnival barker&#8221;), Russia (&#8220;I knew from day one he cheated&#8221;), Brett Kavanaugh (&#8220;We’ve already been through this fight to get the right to decide what happens to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2018/09/rosie-odonnell-on-trump-kavanaugh-the-apprentice-tapes-mueller-leaving-the-view-growing-up-gay-and-the-elections.html">Rosie O&#8217;Donnell on Trump, Kavanaugh, the Apprentice tapes, Mueller, leaving The View, growing up gay, and the elections</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cliff and I had a great conversation with Rosie O&#8217;Donnell about a whole slew of subjects, including the origins of her long-running feud with Donald Trump (&#8220;he&#8217;s a carnival barker&#8221;), Russia (&#8220;I knew from day one he cheated&#8221;), Brett Kavanaugh (&#8220;We’ve already been through this fight to get the right to decide what happens to our bodies, this is not Gilead and he is not the king&#8221;), Mark Burnett&#8217;s Apprentice tapes of Trump&#8217;s profanity (&#8220;he&#8217;s holding Satan&#8217;s videotapes&#8221;), Robert Mueller (“I love him, I look at him and think there’s Captain America, he’s going to save America”), the media&#8217;s complicity in creating Trump, Rudy Giuliani (&#8220;he&#8217;s like your drunk uncle at the Knights of Columbus hall&#8221;), her heart attack, why she left &#8220;The View,&#8221; and what is was like growing up gay. It was a FUN and fascinating conversation. Enjoy.</p>
<p>This is a 17-minute excerpts of the 67 minute UnPresidented podcast. To hear the rest of the show, and support our work, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/21537634">please become a patron over at Patreon</a>.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/502735470&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true" width="100%" height="300" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>And for those who prefer not dealing with Soundcloud, here&#8217;s the same podcast in YouTube format:</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vDzO4yZit1s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2018/09/rosie-odonnell-on-trump-kavanaugh-the-apprentice-tapes-mueller-leaving-the-view-growing-up-gay-and-the-elections.html">Rosie O&#8217;Donnell on Trump, Kavanaugh, the Apprentice tapes, Mueller, leaving The View, growing up gay, and the elections</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Potential Trump Supreme Court nominee Kethledge attends anti-gay activist church</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2018/07/potential-trump-supreme-court-nominee-kethledge-attends-anti-gay-activist-church.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2018/07/potential-trump-supreme-court-nominee-kethledge-attends-anti-gay-activist-church.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2018 01:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anglican Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Episcopal church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homophobia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Raymond Kethledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supreme court]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144590</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Raymond Kethledge is reportedly on Donald Trump&#8217;s short-list for the Supreme Court. In addition to being a staunch conservative, Kethledge is a member of the Anglican Church in North America. An offshoot of the more moderate Episcopal Church, the ACNA was created in 2009 because the far-right fringe of the church felt that Episcopalians weren&#8217;t [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2018/07/potential-trump-supreme-court-nominee-kethledge-attends-anti-gay-activist-church.html">Potential Trump Supreme Court nominee Kethledge attends anti-gay activist church</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Raymond Kethledge is reportedly on Donald Trump&#8217;s short-list for the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>In addition to being a staunch conservative, Kethledge is a member of the Anglican Church in North America. An offshoot of the more moderate Episcopal Church, the ACNA was created in 2009 because the far-right fringe of the church felt that Episcopalians weren&#8217;t anti-gay and anti-women enough. Specifically, they were upset that the Episcopal Church had endorsed a gay bishop, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of women.</p>
<p>Yes, while many faiths have a ways to go with how they treat LGBT people and women, Kethledge&#8217;s church was created expressly to protect and enshrine homophobia and sexism.</p>
<p>The spiritual leader of ACNA was notorious anti-gay bigot Peter Akinola, a Nigerian bishop who endorsed legislation to outlaw same-sex relationships (and throw gay married couples in jail for 5 years), clubs, organizations, and public displays of support for homosexuality (including parades, and even statements). Akinola ushered in a <a href="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/2014/01/police-rounding-gays-nigeria-everything-gay-outlawed.html">horrific era of homophobia in Nigeria</a>.</p>
<p>Now, keep in mind that Nigeria is a country in which <a href="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/2007/12/nigerian-christians-are-killing-children-as-witches.html">&#8220;Christians&#8221; have killed children they deem to be &#8220;witches,&#8221;</a> and Anglican leaders have called same-sex marriage &#8220;a holocaust.&#8221; Akinola, for his part, also suggested that homosexuality is a Western thing (this is a common myth among anti-gay bigots in Africa, that the West created gays, and we have infected Africa with our sickness). This is the man, and the ideology, behind Kethledge&#8217;s church.</p>
<p>Here is a portion of <a href="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/2009/03/anglican-leader-calls-gay-marriage-a-holocaust-says-the-crime-should-be-punishable-by-five-years-in-prison.html">Akinola&#8217;s letter</a> in support of Nigeria&#8217;s draconian anti-gay bill in 2009:</p>
<blockquote><p>Same sex marriage apart from being ungodly is also unscriptural, unnatural, unprofitable, unhealthy, uncultural, un-African and un-Nigerian. It is a perversion, a deviation and an aberation that is capable of engendering moral and social holocaust in this country. It is also capable of extincting mankind and as such should never be allowed to take root in Nigeria. Outlawing it is to ensure the continued existence of this nation. The need for doing this is urgent, compelling and imperative. The time is now.</p>
<p>The Most Revd. Peter J. Akinola<br />
Archbishop Primate and Metropolitan<br />
Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)</p></blockquote>
<p>Here&#8217;s a bit more from Akinola, <a href="http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/3/16/183135/645">during the discussion</a> of the bill:</p>
<blockquote><p>The penalty for engaging in same gender marriage should be 5 years imprisonment each.</p>
<p>&#8220;The introduction of this bill&#8230; is one of the best things that have happened to us as a nation.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Any society or nation that approves same sex union as an acceptable lifestyle is in an advanced stage of corruption/moral decay. This bill, therefore seeks to sheild Nigeria from the complete annihiliation that will follow the wrath of God should this practice be accepted as normal in the land.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>So now you know where Raymond Kethledge is coming from, and it&#8217;s not pretty.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-143478" src="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/by-default-2017-07-26-at-3.14.11-PM-e1531097867723-200x131.jpg" alt="trump lgbt flag rainbow" width="200" height="131" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/by-default-2017-07-26-at-3.14.11-PM-e1531097867723-200x131.jpg 200w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/by-default-2017-07-26-at-3.14.11-PM-e1531097867723.jpg 262w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />It&#8217;s funny. Donald Trump crowed repeatedly during the campaign about how he would be so much more pro-LGBT than Hillary Clinton. Remember, Trump even brought a rainbow flag on stage at one appearance.</p>
<p>It was just another lie.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2018/07/potential-trump-supreme-court-nominee-kethledge-attends-anti-gay-activist-church.html">Potential Trump Supreme Court nominee Kethledge attends anti-gay activist church</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Support LGBT hero Zach Wahls</title>
		<link>https://elections.americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html</link>
		<comments>https://elections.americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2018 23:27:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2018 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boy Scouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gay marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zach Wahls]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144398</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As a straight college kid with two lesbian moms, Zach Wahls famously spoke out in favor of gay marriage before the Iowa House of Representatives back in 2012, when he was only 19 years old. Zach gave an amazing speech, you can check it out here. He then went on to lead a campaign, as a former [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html">Support LGBT hero Zach Wahls</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a straight college kid with two lesbian moms, Zach Wahls famously spoke out in favor of gay marriage before the Iowa House of Representatives back in 2012, <b>when he was only 19 years old</b>.</p>
<p>Zach gave an amazing speech, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q">you can check it out here</a>. He then went on to lead a campaign, as a former Eagle Scout, to successfully pressure the Boy Scouts to drop their gay ban. Zach is the real deal. He was there to help us when we needed him. And now he needs our help in return.</p>
<p><b>Zach is now running for the Iowa State Senate, and I&#8217;d like to ask you to support his campaign for a seat held by a Democrat who is not running for reelection. </b><a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wahlsablog"><b>You can donate to Zach here</b></a><b>.</b></p>
<p><div id="attachment_144399" style="width: 258px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-144399" class="wp-image-144399 size-full" src="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/zach-wahls-250-e1526513235474.jpg" alt="" width="248" height="226" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/zach-wahls-250-e1526513235474.jpg 248w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/zach-wahls-250-e1526513235474-176x160.jpg 176w" sizes="(max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px" /><p id="caption-attachment-144399" class="wp-caption-text">Zach Wahls</p></div></p>
<p>If we want good Democrats, we need to elect them AND find them young, and get them involved in the political process early on. And they don&#8217;t get any better than Zach. I&#8217;ve gotten to know Zach over the years, and he&#8217;s an amazing young man who is going to go far in progressive politics. His top three issues for this race are health care, education, and workers&#8217; rights. The primary is in just three weeks, and then the general election is in the fall.</p>
<p>No one is more deserving of our help than Zach. He was there for the LGBT community when most kids his age were worrying about final exams. Please join me in returning the favor by helping elect Zach to the Iowa State Senate. This guy is going to go far, so long as we help him. <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wahlsablog"><b>Please donate $25 or more to his campaign</b></a>. And as this is a local race, your donation will go a LONG way &#8212; you can actually make a difference in electing the next generation of progressives. <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wahlsablog"><b>Support Zach now</b></a>.</p>
<p>And do take a minute and watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q">Zach&#8217;s speech</a>, at only 19 years of age, before the Iowa legislature. It&#8217;s still one of the most amazing things I&#8217;ve ever seen. I think you&#8217;ll agree.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://elections.americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html">Support LGBT hero Zach Wahls</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tell Starbucks that homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism are bad business</title>
		<link>https://gay.americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html</link>
		<comments>https://gay.americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2018 18:55:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ADL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anti-Defamation League]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-semitism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farrakhan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homophobia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lgbt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lindsa Sarsour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[petition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Starbucks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tamika Mallory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transphobia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women's march]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144348</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Starbucks just did it again. On the heels of the coffee chain&#8217;s racist treatment of two African-American customers, Starbucks is now embracing homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism. Please sign the petition at the bottom of this page (or here) and demand that Starbucks stop coddling homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigots. As you know, in response to [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html">Tell Starbucks that homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism are bad business</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Starbucks just did it again.</strong></p>
<p>On the heels of the coffee chain&#8217;s racist treatment of two African-American customers, Starbucks is now embracing homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism.</p>
<p><strong>Please sign the petition at the bottom of this page (<a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business">or here</a>) and demand that Starbucks stop coddling homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigots.</strong></p>
<p>As you know, in response to a racist incident in one of its stores, Starbucks plans to shut down its stores on May 29th for mandatory anti-bias training. One of the groups assisting with that training was the lead civil rights group, ADL, which focusing on anti-Semitism, but has also been a longtime leader, going back decades, in the battle for LGBT rights, among others. The ADL, and America&#8217;s Jewish community, were speaking out on behalf of LGBT rights back when a lot of progressive allies were still squeamish.</p>
<p><strong>Starbucks has now kicked the ADL out of the anti-bias training</strong>, in response to complaints from acolytes of <a href="https://www.advocate.com/women/2018/3/07/womens-march-leader-refuses-denounce-antigay-anti-semitic-louis-farrakhan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transphobic, homophobic, and anti-Semitic bigot Louis Farrakhan</a>. Yes, to prove that it isn&#8217;t a bigoted company, Starbucks just took a swipe at gays, transgender people, and Jews.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-144352" src="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/womens-march-advocate-300x237.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="237" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/womens-march-advocate-300x237.jpg 300w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/womens-march-advocate-200x158.jpg 200w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/womens-march-advocate-150x120.jpg 150w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/womens-march-advocate.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Starbucks took the move in response to a demand from Farrakhan allies, and controversial Women&#8217;s March leaders, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour. Both women demanded that Starbucks drop the ADL. Why? Because the ADL took a stand against <a href="https://www.adl.org/news/op-ed/louis-farrakhan-again">Farrakhan&#8217;s homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigotry</a>. And that was a step too far for Mallory and Sarsour.</p>
<p>Specifically, the ADL recently criticized Mallory&#8217;s attendance at a Farrakhan speech where he praised her by name, and then went on to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/louis-farrakhan-speech/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch a vile attack</a> on gays, trans people and Jews. Afterwards, Mallory refused to condemn Farrakhan&#8217;s homophobic and anti-Semitic bigotry, and the ADL rightfully took her on.</p>
<p><strong>Mallory and Sarsour have now gotten their revenge</strong>, by convincing Starbucks to embrace their homophobia, transphobia, and anti-Semitism by dropping the ADL from the training, and sending a message to other corporate leaders that anti-gay, anti-trans, and anti-Semitic bigotry are acceptable.</p>
<p>Yeah, they&#8217;re really not.</p>
<p>To fully appreciate just how badly Starbucks stumbled, here are the recent Farrakhan comments that Mallory &amp; Sarsour (and now Starbucks) are embracing:</p>
<p><strong>Farrakhan attacks Jews, gays and trans people in one fell swoop:</strong></p>
<p>The Jews, he proclaimed, are &#8220;responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>On &#8220;white folks&#8221; and the &#8220;Satanic Jew&#8221;:</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God&#8217;s grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew and I&#8217;m here to say your time is up, your world is through.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Evil Jews control the world</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;After insisting that he’s not an anti-Semite but a &#8216;truth teller,&#8217; Farrakhan suggested, among other things, that Jews are part of &#8216;the Synagogue of Satan;&#8217; that the white people running Mexico are Mexican-Jews; that Jews control various countries including Ukraine, France, Poland and Germany where they take advantage of the money, the culture and the business; that Jesus called Jews &#8216;the children of the devil&#8217;; and &#8216;when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.'&#8221;</p>
<p>Of course, Farrakhan&#8217;s history of spouting bigotry and idiocy isn&#8217;t new. Here are a few more of his other &#8220;best hits&#8221; of years recent years:</p>
<p><strong><span class="redactor-unlink">Farrakhan on President Obama embracing marriage equality</span> (zoom ahead to 2 minutes):</strong></p>
<div class="video-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/39dW48MjBMY" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<p><strong>And here&#8217;s Farrakhan bashing gays and advocating for sodomy laws:</strong></p>
<div class="video-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tkOUP8YCor4" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<p><strong>Farrakhan on Hitler, the &#8220;great man&#8221;:</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;The Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. Hitler was a very great man.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>On AIDS being used as a weapon against black people:</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Another method (of depopulation) is disease infection through bio-weapons such as Ebola and AIDS, which are race targeting weapons. There is a weapon that can be put in a room where there are Black and White people, and it will kill only the Black and spare the White, because it is a genotype weapon that is designed for your genes, for your race, for your kind.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>And for added measure, Farrakhan thinks 9/11 was a &#8220;false flag&#8221; operation:</strong></p>
<p>“Osama Bin Laden didn’t destroy the Twin Towers. that was a false flag operation to take the world’s attention away from the great disunity in America after George W. Bush stole the election.”</p>
<p><strong>Who does Farrakhan really think was behind 9/11? Take a guess:</strong></p>
<p>“It is now becoming apparent that there were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks.  Israelis had foreknowledge of the attacks&#8230;  We know that many Jews received a text message not to come to work on September 11.”</p>
<p><strong>You can read more about the <a href="https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/3/13/dear-womens-march-leaders-lets-talk-about-farrakhan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women&#8217;s March&#8217;s embrace of Farrakhan&#8217;s bigotry in this Advocate op ed</a>.</strong></p>
<p>Louis Farrakhan is a virulent bigot. And Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour are bigots for not only supporting Louis Farrakhan and refusing to repudiate his incessant attacks on gays, trans people and Jews; but for using their status in the Women&#8217;s March to attack a longtime and legitimate civil rights movement like the ADL.</p>
<p><strong>As for Starbucks, shame on you for pandering to homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism. You clearly haven&#8217;t learned your lesson that bigotry is bad business.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Please sign the petition on this page, and make sure Starbucks learns a lesson about bigotry that it will never forget.</strong></p>
<p><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v3/petition/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business?format=js&#038;source=widget'></script></p>
<div id="can-petition-area-tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business" style="width: 100%;"><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://gay.americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html">Tell Starbucks that homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism are bad business</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dan Savage on sex &#038; politics (podcast)</title>
		<link>https://americablog.com/2018/03/dan-savage-sex-politics-podcast.html</link>
		<comments>https://americablog.com/2018/03/dan-savage-sex-politics-podcast.html#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2018 15:35:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2018 elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dan Savage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gun control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[merrick garland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supreme court]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Advice columnist and LGBT advocate Dan Savage joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about politics, sex, and everything in between. This episode is definitely not-safe-for-work. We talk to Dan about conservative dating advice, Donald Trump, Dan&#8217;s fear of the Titanic, the gun debate, the Mueller Trump-Russia probe, chariot racing (don&#8217;t ask), Oscar pervertibles (don&#8217;t ask), [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2018/03/dan-savage-sex-politics-podcast.html">Dan Savage on sex &#038; politics (podcast)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Advice columnist and LGBT advocate Dan Savage joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about politics, sex, and everything in between.</p>
<p>This episode is definitely not-safe-for-work.</p>
<p>We talk to Dan about conservative dating advice, Donald Trump, Dan&#8217;s fear of the Titanic, the gun debate, the Mueller Trump-Russia probe, chariot racing (don&#8217;t ask), Oscar pervertibles (don&#8217;t ask), monogamy, kink, and the intersection of sex and politics.</p>
<p>And we&#8217;re proud to announce that we&#8217;re joining Dan in a new project announced during the podcast: <a href="http://OnlyMerrick.com">OnlyMerrick.com</a>, a new effort to take back the Supreme Court seat the Republican stole from Merrick Garland.</p>
<p>It was a hilarious, and sometimes-serious, hour that we think you&#8217;ll really enjoy. We know we did. You can listen below:</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/410552964&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true&#038;visual=true"></iframe></p>
<p>Please subscribe to the UnPresidented Podcast on iTunes (<a title="http://www.UnPresidentedPodcast.com" href="https://exit.sc/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.UnPresidentedPodcast.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">www.UnPresidentedPodcast.com</a>) and leave us a rating &amp; review. And access our premium shows by becoming a patron</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2018/03/dan-savage-sex-politics-podcast.html">Dan Savage on sex &#038; politics (podcast)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Star Wars&#8217; Carrie Fisher, my interview</title>
		<link>https://americablog.com/2017/12/star-wars-carrie-fisher-interview.html</link>
		<comments>https://americablog.com/2017/12/star-wars-carrie-fisher-interview.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2017 18:58:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[John Aravosis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fun Stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2008]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carrie Fisher]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Last Jedi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarah Palin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Star Wars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aravosis.wpengine.com/?p=144075</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I had the joy of interviewing Star Wars star Carrie Fisher (aka Princess/General Leia) who passed away unexpectedly last Christmas. It was right before the 2008 elections, and Fisher one-woman show (Wishful Drinking) was traveling through DC, and a reader of my blog was able to snag us tickets, and even better, an interview back [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2017/12/star-wars-carrie-fisher-interview.html">Star Wars&#8217; Carrie Fisher, my interview</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I had the joy of interviewing Star Wars star Carrie Fisher (aka Princess/General Leia) who passed away unexpectedly last Christmas. It was right before the 2008 elections, and Fisher one-woman show (Wishful Drinking) was traveling through DC, and a reader of my blog was able to snag us tickets, and even better, an interview back stage before the show!</p>
<p>I never laughed so hard in all my life. Carrie is hilarious, and brilliant, and insane.</p>
<p>My then-blogging-partner-in-crime Joe Sudbay and I met Carrie at her car in the parking lot behind DC&#8217;s Lincoln Theater. Carrie said hi, then threw glitter dust all over the both of us. We were covered in the stuff. She acted like it was totally normal. That was Carrie.</p>
<p>So we went with her to her dressing room, and talked for like 20 minutes before the actual on-tape interview. Oh how I wish I had taped that part. Carrie was brilliant, and quite serious, when talking about politics. She almost seemed as if she was being extra-careful NOT to be frivolous in discussing the upcoming 2018 election.</p>
<p>But she was hysterical in the pre-game before we taped, talking about the time she dated then- Senator Chris Dodd, and he took her to the Kennedy compound in Massachusetts for the weekend, and the Kennedy&#8217;s ridiculed her mercilessly (referring her to a floozy, in essence). Well, anyone who&#8217;s met Carrie knows that you take her on at your own peril. In the middle of a church, after one Kennedy had made one floozy joke too far, she responded, loudly, with a joke about Chappaquiddick.</p>
<p>Oh my god, I said, what did they do? She responded, the entire room erupted into laughter.</p>
<p><img class="alignright wp-image-144080 size-medium" src="http://aravosis.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ScreenCap-2017-12-26-at-12.50.29-PM-e1514314657487-300x156.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="156" srcset="https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ScreenCap-2017-12-26-at-12.50.29-PM-e1514314657487-300x156.jpg 300w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ScreenCap-2017-12-26-at-12.50.29-PM-e1514314657487-200x104.jpg 200w, https://americablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ScreenCap-2017-12-26-at-12.50.29-PM-e1514314657487.jpg 341w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The interview itself, in the video below, was more serious. Carrie began by smearing more glitter on Joe&#8217;s face (photo to the right). Two parts, however, were lighter, so to speak. In one, Carrie talks about President George W. Bush&#8217;s little-known superpower (he can fart on command), and then she went off on Sarah Palin, calling her the c-word. I&#8217;m pretty sure Carrie had made the same comment before the show, and we had told her that she can&#8217;t say that on tape, especially only six weeks or so before the election &#8212; we didn&#8217;t want to divert attention from all the bad press Palin was getting. But Carrie being Carrie, she said it anyway. (I did bleep it in the video I posted on YouTube at the time, but still have the original, and will post it when I get back to DC where my copy resides.)</p>
<p>I&#8217;d have loved to have had her on our UnPresidented Podcast. What a gem. Here&#8217;s my 2008 interview:</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rfUeM92KUm0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com/2017/12/star-wars-carrie-fisher-interview.html">Star Wars&#8217; Carrie Fisher, my interview</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://americablog.com">AMERICAblog News</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
