Paul Ryan Releases Two Years Of Tax Returns

Joining in political ritual of releasing one's tax returns, Republican veep hopeful Paul Ryan today pulled the curtain back on two years worth of his personal economics. A glimpse, via the Boston Globe:

Paul Ryan and his wife paid an effective tax rate of 20 percent last year and 15.9 percent the year before, according to tax returns the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee released late on Friday afternoon.

Ryan’s tax returns, released through Mitt Romney’s campaign, show that he paid $64,764 in taxes on $323,416 of adjusted gross income in 2011. He and his wife paid $34,233 in taxes on $215,417 of adjusted gross income in 2010.

Just over half of the couple’s income came through Ryan’s congressional salary, according to the returns, with the other amounts coming from a variety of investments, including rental real estate, partnerships, and trusts.

The Ryans donated $12,991 to charity in 2011, and $2,600 to charity in 2010. Those contributions went to such groups as the Boy Scouts of America, Junior Achievement, and Women and Children’s Horizons, according to the campaign.

Man Sues Kansas School District For Failing To Stop Homophobic Bullying: VIDEO

A Kansas man filed a lawsuit against the Blue Valley School District that alleges school officials turned a blind eye to bullying he endured because of his perceived sexual orientation.

In addition to having his nose broken on a number of occasions and being called homophobic slurs, the unidentified man, who graduated in 2010, was allegedly doused in urine by abusive classmates and had his hand forced on a burner during cooking class. And administrators, he claims, did nothing.

KCTV has more:

"His reports were met with indifference, inaction, or where some action was taken, the action was wholly inadequate and ineffective," according to the lawsuit.

"A few sympathetic teachers" passed on the reports to administrators, but either nothing was done or administrators "made inadequate and feeble attempts to discipline students, only to knowingly permit the physical and emotional assaults and harassment to continue," according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiff suffered emotional and physical trauma, and as a result his grades suffered. He attended classes at another facility to escape the abuse, the lawsuit claims. He still experiences physical pain and post-traumatic stress disorder issues, and is receiving counseling.

"The harassment was so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively deprived (the plaintiff) of access to educational benefits or opportunities provided by the school district," according to the lawsuit.

Watch video of the report AFTER THE JUMP.

Michael Heath Claims Marriage Equality Breeds Violence Like FRC Shooting

Michael Heath is really taking the new conservative meme — equality activists are violent like Floyd Corkins — to the next level. Heath, the outspoken anti-gay stalwart who called same-sex marriage "monstrous insaneness," released a statement today in which he says allowing marriage equality in Maine would lead to the "sort of violence" seen at Family Research Council's HQ this week.

"If Maine doesn't end this decades long conflict over the evil of sodomy with an overwhelming NO vote in November we can expect to see this sort of violence in Maine in the near future," said Heath, referring to the referendum that could legalize marriage equality.

"Homosexuality can lead to the most horrific and violent consequences in individuals and society. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of it."

Heath then takes the fear-mongering one step further by noting that he's getting a gun to protect himself, and others. From his press release, which is written in third person: "Heath is awaiting receipt of his concealed weapons permit from the Maine State Police. He claimed it is the responsibility of all good men to be prepared to protect innocence from evil. Force must be met with force so that innocent people are not harmed."

The statement also notes that Heath will be speaking at Beastfeast, an event at which - and this is a quote - "men who respect hunting and firearms come together to enjoy the results of the hunt -- they eat meat."

Towleroad Guide To The Tube #1190

BACK OFF: Word of advice, don't try to touch Lady Gaga.

BACK IN THE DAY: A look at Fire Island, circa 1976.

'KEEP THE LIGHTS ON': Trailer for Ira Sachs' autobiographical film.

FALLS-A-COMING: Kings' debut single, "October".

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Queer History, Babel fish, Apple TV, Fur

Dogs aren't the only mammals that look adorable shaking themselves dry.

An Indiana Tea Party group recently posted a billboard that reads "The Navy Seals removed one threat to America...the voters must remove the other."

Pressure is building for New York City Speaker and potential mayor Christine Quinn to back paid sick leave legislation: "Considering how important this issue is to LGBTQ workers and our brothers and sisters living with HIV/AIDS, it’s disturbing that some of the most prominent and powerful opponents of the legislation come from within the LGBTQ community."

Learn about the Pop Up Museum of Queer History.

Lady Gaga on wearing fur: "I am choosing not to comment on whether or not the furs I purchase are faux fur-pile or real because I would think it hypercritical not to acknowledge the python, ostrich, cow hide, leather, lamb, alligator, 'kermit' and not to mention meat, that I have already worn. This should already put me in a category as one who appreciates and adores the beauty of animals in fashion, but am not a strict vegan."

Former Democratic Congressman Artur Davis, once an Obama campaign co-chair, introduced GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan to voters in Virginia today.

The FEC once fined a campaign managed by Family Research Council president Tony Perkins for failing to include mailing lists bought from the KKK on a federal disclosure list.

GOP-allied groups are outspending pro-Obama organizations 8-to-1: "Together, the Koch brothers-linked Americans for Prosperity and pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future combined to spend about $31 million on ads against Obama, an analysis of federal independent expenditure records shows."

Tom Brady ain't afraid of no dog.

Dancing with the Stars dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy allegedly gets rough with his partners.

What is the nun carrying in her buckets in this American Horror Story: Asylum teaser trailer?

More than 100 people showed up for a pro-equality protest in Bermuda.

The Florida-based Christian Family Coalition claims it has a lot of pull in the ballot box, but only 3 of dozens of the non-incumbent candidates the group endorsed won their local elections.

Evangelical leader Bill Keller is threatening to file an astoundingly unrealistic $100 million lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center for - you guessed it - "inciting" to people who read their summary on hate groups to go after people on that list, including him.

In lieu of wedding gifts, fab.com founder Jason Goldberg and fiance Christian Schoenherr are asking friends to donate to The Four 2012, a curated social media project aimed at getting young Americans who support marriage equality to vote this November. "If we’re going to win these referenda, young people have to get out and vote, and this is the space where they live: social media," said Brian Ellner, who I'm told is working with Blue State Digital to help organize The Four 2012.

Angel Alan Celino, the mayor of Roxas City in the Phillipines, is suing a radio DJ and his manager for libel after the radio host said he goes to gay bars.

Derek Thompson on why Apple TV isn't a total game changer: "Techies are conflating the idea that Apple wants to disrupt this TV-watching business with the idea that Apple has a shot at disrupting the actual TV-video business. The fact that Apple is now in talks with cable companies to deliver video to their screen shows pretty clearly that the company has all but given up on trying to license content from media companies -- the ones who own the TV shows you watch -- because it's simply too expensive."

A lot of famous people appeared on The X-Files when they were just regular people, before they were famous people. The Awl has a handy rundown of the famous people who played minor characters on The X-Files and whether the fictional people those famous people played lived or died.

I agree with President Obama: a cool super power would be the ability to speak any language. Beats sticking a Babel fish in your ear.

Shia LaBeouf on the level of realness in his upcoming movie, Nymphomaniac:  "It is what you think it is. There's a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says, we're doing [the sex] for real. And anything that is 'illegal' will be shot in blurred images. But other than that, everything is happening."

Anti-Gay Russians File $10 Million Suit Against Madonna For 'Moral Suffering' And Procreative Anxiety

A group of ten anti-gay activists are suing Madonna after the singer praised equality during her concert in St. Petersburg, where saying nice things about LGBT people is against the law.

According to the activists, Madonna's pro-gay comments caused them "moral suffering" and so they're each entitled to one million bucks.

"[Madonna] had been warned with words that she should behave in line with the law and she ignored it. So we will speak in the language of money," disturbed plaintiff Darya Dedova said, according to Reuters.

Another activist worried that Madonna's LGBT-friendly ways would adversely impact Mother Russia's procreation rate: "Maybe someone does not see the link but after Madonna's concert maybe some boy becomes gay, some girl becomes lesbian, fewer children are born as a result and this big country cannot defend its borders - for me it causes moral suffering."

The group says they plan on donating the money to an orphonage. Sadly for those hypothetical orphans, these people will never, ever see that money. Nor, I'm guessing, will St. Petersburg see the $17,000 they fined Madge for the same appearance.