Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an Openly-Ginger Member of the GOP: VIDEO

“I don’t want to be known as a red-headed Republican. I just want to be known as a Republican who happens to have red hair.”

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

RED with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Linda Cardellini from Jesse Tyler Ferguson

 

Quinn Denounces Anti-Gay, Racist Carriage Incident; Drivers' Union to Undergo Anti-Discrimination Training

Earlier today, Towleroad posted video of a disturbing incident which took place over LGBT Pride in which a carriage horse driver hurled racist, sexist, homophobic slurs at a group of women leafleting nearby, along with a letter from Martina Navratilova condemning the incident and urging Speaker Christine Quinn to do so as well.

In the video, the driver is seen calling one woman a "f**king ni**er" and a "c*nt", and mocking the group of them for attending "the dyke convention".

Navratilova also used the opportunity as an animal rights activist and PETA spokesperson to urge the Speaker to change her position on the carriage industry as a whole and replace the horse-drawn carriages with cruelty-free eco-friendly cars.

Quinn responded to the incident and Navratilova's statement with a letter to the Teamsters Union and to Navratilova herself, both of which Towleroad obtained after reaching out to Quinn's office for a response to our original post.

Read them, AFTER THE JUMP...

Quinn's letter to the Teamsters Local 553 Union blasts the driver's behavior. The Union responded immediately, according to the NYT blog City Room, which picked up the story:

On Tuesday, Ms. Quinn said the union representing carriage drivers had agreed to immediately require its members to undergo anti-discrimination training. Ms. Quinn said her office would work with the union to find an appropriate gay-rights organization to help put the training in place.

Said Quinn in the letter, which urged the training:

A video of one of your carriage horse drivers verbally assaulting a group of women during NYC’s LGBT Pride week was recently brought to my attention. The behavior depicted in this video is reprehensible and unacceptable from anyone, and is especially unbefitting of an industry the City Council has made sure treats its animals humanely...What happened to these women is truly outrageous and wrong and should not be tolerated.

Quinn also responded to Navratilova's criticism of the carriage horse industry, emphasizing practices which she says assure the safety and health of the carriage horses, but was not persuaded to change her position on their employment on New York City streets:

Given the tough economic times that we are in, we continue to believe that our current regulatory scheme, which does not permit the operation of electronic cars, strikes a fair balance between having stronger regulations in place to protect these horses while allowing an industry that generates vital jobs and tourism for our city to continue.

Read both of Quinn's letters, AFTER THE JUMP...

Navratilova

Demo Polo Us

'Voice of America' Looks at the Hideous Oppression Gay People Face in St. Petersburg, Russia: VIDEO

Voice of America takes a look at the government oppression of gays in St. Petersburg, Russia. Above, a group of nationalists attacks a bus containing a group of gay people who held a demonstration in a city park and were placed in the bus by city police.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1167

 FAKE JUSTIN BIEBER: Teases horde of screaming girls.

CLEVER WHALE SHARK: Sucks fish out of a fishing net.

CHRIS COLFER: Discusses his new novel with the ladies of The View.

NO DOUBT: "Settle Down".

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Zaha Hadid, Marissa Mayer, Lana Del Rey, Rosie O'Donnell

Will red wine headaches soon be a thing of the past?

Longtime Google exec Marissa Mayer named Yahoo! CEO. She's also pregnant.

Zaha Hadid designing boat of the future: “The idea is to think of vessels or vehicles as highly individualistic expressions of art, architecture and design, reflecting the edge of what is possible using the most advanced means, including materials, software systems, and methods of fabrication.”

Man nipples galore.

Phillippines mourns Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr., an actor who shot to fame playing gay roles.

Lana del Rey is the new face of H&M.

Why Mitt Romney won't get involved in the dust-up over the "made in China" Olympic uniforms: "For the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has repeatedly promised on the trail to 'get tough' on China, opposing the manufacturing seemed a likely stance, except that while at the helm of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Romney outsourced the production of torchbearer uniforms to Burma."

Twitter reacts to Florida Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll's remark that "black women that look like me don't engage in" lesbian relationships.

Rafael Nadal gets Spain's flag for London Olympics.

With Magic Mike in mind, Nathaniel Rogers revisits the 1983 male stripper flick A Night in Heaven.

GOProud calls on George Lopez to apologize for calling Mitt Romney "puto". Jimmy LaSalvia: "This is just the latest in a long line of liberals who get a free pass for using gay slurs. ‘If a conservative had said that about a liberal politician, the gay left would be chaining themselves to a nearby fence! He should apologize, but like other liberals who say such stuff like that he won’t be under any pressure to."

Democrats link Batman villain Bane to Romney's Bain.

Rosie O'Donnell buys $8 million Manhattan pad at St. Vincent's condos.

ABC News: Same-sex families at risk over patchwork of state laws. "Between 2 million and 2.8 million children are being raised by LGBT parents, and because of a patchwork of state laws and no federal protections, many of these children are at risk, according to the report by the Movement Advancement Project, Family Equality Council, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and the Equality Foundation."

Viral video boosts sales of Scissor Sisters "Let's Have a Kiki".

Pink reveals album artwork for The Truth About Love, along with 30-second song snippet.

John Irving: "Growing up in the '50s and '60s, I spent more time imagining sex than actually having it. There was a period in that time where I was frightened of half of my sexual fantasises. I was attracted to my friend’s mothers, and I did have an occasional crush on a boy in the wrestling team. [But] I liked girls in my life, and it proceeded in a normal, unchallenged course."

Memorial held for gay AP intern Armando Montano, found dead in elevator shaft in Mexico City on June 30.

Mickey Rourke says it's been difficult raisiing money for his Gareth Thomas biopic: "...it’s not a comic book, it’s not a romantic comedy. It doesn’t fall in that category to raise money for. Really, it’s been difficult but two years to get a movie up and going isn’t bad so I’ve got nothing to complain about."

Howard Bragman on "casual" outing: "No, do not let the casualness fool you.  Most of the public figures that have come out have taken decades to reach that decision.  And even if you think you already knew and their pronouncements are no big deal, I'm here to tell you it is a big deal.  It's an incredibly courageous act -- the single most important thing every LGBT American can do to advance the cause of our civil rights.   While we can take a moment to celebrate what we have achieved, it's important we recommit our efforts to this cause because we have miles to go before we sleep."

Thomas Roberts Speaks to Chair of Pro-Lesbian Super PAC: VIDEO

Thomas Roberts today spoke with Sarah Schmidt, the Chair and Treasurer of LPAC, the Super PAC that was recently announced to fight for gay and women's rights. Roberts asked Schmidt about what the PAC hoped to accomplish, the scope of the rights issues they are focused on, and whether they have endorsed any candidates thus far.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via david mixner)

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