Homophobic Rep. Allen West and Potential VP Pick Won't Have Gay Marriage Discussion on CNN: VIDEO

Congressman Allen West (R-FL), an outspoken opponent of 'DADT' repeal who has said that being gay is a choice comparable to choosing the flavor of one's ice cream, refused today to have a discussion with CNN's Kyra Phillips about marriage equality, accusing her of trying to lead him down a "rabbit hole".

West has been rumored to be on Mitt Romney's short list for VP.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

What Google's Glasses Would Really Be Like: VIDEO

Ad-mented reality, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Your Augmented Future: VIDEO [tlrd]

Gay Couple to Attend Easter Egg Roll, Ask Obama to Sign Executive Order Banning LGBT Workplace Discrimination

Jarrod Scarbrough and Les Sewell, a New Mexico couple of 18 years, are attending the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday with their 8-year-old daughter and plan to press the President on signing an executive order banning workplace discrimination against LGBT people, according to a press release from GetEqual and Freedom to Work:

Scarbrough and Sewell are advocating for President Obama to sign an Executive Order banning workplace discrimination by any federal contractor on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Recent reports indicate that this Executive Order has been approved by both the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor, and is simply awaiting the president's signature. The push by Scarbrough and Sewell comes on the heels of a sign-on letter by 72 House Democrats, dated April 2, that calls on President Obama to sign the Executive Order.

"I work for a federal contractor, and there's a piece of paper sitting on President Obama's desk that would give me a little more security for my family," said Jarrod Scarbrough, an employee of United Healthcare. "As so many families gather on the White House lawn next week, I hope that the First Family takes a moment to reflect on how hard gay families like mine work to ensure that we have the stability and security that so many others take for granted. My message -- and the message of my family -- echoes President Obama's campaign slogan: We can't wait. It's time for President Obama to sign this Executive Order."

The couple is holding a press conference by telephone before heading to the White House on Monday.

In related news, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, a group known as the “law firm for the Latino community”, has become the first non-LGBT civil rights group to announce support for an executive order:

In a letter dated April 5, Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, calls on President Obama to take administrative action to prohibit companies that do business with the U.S. government from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“I write to urge you to build on your successful ‘We Can’t Wait’ initiative in one concrete way,” Saenz said. “Specifically, MALDEF asks that you sign an executive order to ban federal contractors from engaging in workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, including LGBT Latinos.”

Saenz urges the president to issue the order because the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation that would bar job bias against LGBT people, has stalled in Congress for years.

Malaysia to Ban All LGBT Characters from Television Because They're 'Against Norm of a Religious Society'

Malaysia has issued a directive to state-owned TV stations ordering them to ban and remove LGBT characters, and says it will expand the order to privately owned stations, The Star reports:

The Information Department has banned shows featuring gay characters, Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz confirmed. He said the ban was effective immediately but would only start with state-owned TV and radio stations.

"If it means cancelling some of the shows, so be it," he told The Star Friday, adding that the decision was to curb the "influence" of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

He also said the decision will be expanded to cover privately-owned stations as well as satellite TV providers.

As for foreign productions, he said the Censorship Board will remove episodes from running TV shows and bar movies with gay characters from being screened locally.

The directive appeared on the Information Department Facebook page yesterday:

"Effective immediately, radio and TV stations are asked to stop screening shows which feature gay, effeminate men as well as characters that go against the norm of a religious society because this encourages and promotes LGBT now."

Famous Faces in Their Film Debuts: VIDEO

Loving this supercut of movie stars in their first appearances.

'And introducing...', AFTER THE JUMP...

(via flavorwire)

Video Essay: "And Introducing..." from Flavorwire on Vimeo.

 

Ryan Gosling Texts Hillary Clinton

If its ubiquity on Facebook this week hasn't piqued your curiosity yet, you should do yourself the favor of visiting Texts from Hillary, based on the most bad ass photo of Secretary of State Clinton ever.