'Shameless' Actor Cameron Monaghan: 'I'm Not Gay...It Feels a Bit Odd to 'Come Out' as a Straight Guy'

In response to his followers questions yesterday, actor Cameron Monaghan, who plays a gay teen on Showtime's Shameless, came out as a straight guy.

Said Monaghan on Twitter: "This is the only time I will answer this here: No, I'm not gay. Yes, I play a gay character. No, the question should not be relevant."

Adding, "Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It feels a bit odd to 'come out' as a straight guy."

(via ed kennedy)

Former Bush Speechwriter David Frum Explains Why He Flipped on Same-Sex Marriage, is Signing SCOTUS Brief

Conservative journalist and former Bush speechwriter David Frum explains why he has signed on to a SCOTUS brief signed by dozens of Republicans opposing Proposition 8.

Writes Frum in the Daily Beast:

I signed it as a long-time opponent of same-sex marriage, worried by exactly the arguments advanced by the Californians who passed Proposition 8 to stop it: that the spread of same-sex marriage would change the way men and women thought about marriage in ways that would discourage them from forming married families.

Since 2009, we have seen a sharp decline in this country in both marriage and childbearing. But that decline obviously has little or nothing to do with same-sex marriage. It has obviously everything to do with the economic crisis—and the long previous years of persistent decline in the wages and opportunities of Americans, especially young Americans.

As a conservative concerned with stabilizing families to rely less on government aid, I have been convinced: I've been worrying about the wrong thing. Stopping same-sex marriages does nothing to support families battered by economic adversity. Instead, it excludes and punishes people who seek only to live as conservatives would urge them to live. Treating same-sex partnerships differently from husband-wife marriages only serves to divide and antagonize those who ought to be working together.

Read his full post here.

Best Screenplays of the Year Get the Bad Lip Reading Treatment: VIDEO

A special clip created for the Independent Spirit Awards featuring their Best Screenplay nominees, which included Silver Linings Playbook, Moonrise Kingdom, Keep the Lights On, Seven Psycopaths, and Ruby Sparks.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Minnesota with Bipartisan Support

The push for marriage equality is on in Minnesota, with bipartisan support, MPR reports:

Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Karen Clark outlined their proposal during a State Capitol news conference, surrounded by supportive clergy members and families. The effort follows last November's defeat of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Dibble said the legislation affirms the things that people share throughout the state.

"This is a day to be very very proud to be a Minnesotan," Dibble said. "Because Minnesotans have rallied around this unifying, this clarifying discussion about the power of love in our lives."

Dibble said he doesn't know if there are enough votes now to pass the bill, but he believes they're close. He said he expects supporters to engage with their legislators on the issue in the coming weeks.

Last week we reported that Republican state senator Branden Petersen said he'd co-sponsor the bill, ahd he has.

Said Petersen in a statement:

"As a strong proponent of limited government, conservative principles and individual liberty, I am proud to add my name as a co-author of legislation to secure the freedom to marry for same-sex couple in Minnesota."

Opponents of the bill are holding an afternoon news conference.

NOM has pledged $500,000 against lawmakers like Petersen who vote for the bill. Petersen has said he's not afraid:

"Regardless of the amount, whether it's $500,000 or $50 million, my vote is not going to bought either way. I'm going to do what's right," Petersen said. "If they want to throw away $500,000 then that's their decision."

Gay Mississippi Mayoral Candidate Found Dead

The body of Marco McMillian, a Clarksdale, mayoral candidate the Victory Fund describes as "one of the 1st viable openly #LGBT candidates in Mississippi" has been found near a highway, according to the Press Register:

The Press Register has received a reliable report, unconfirmed by the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office, that at approximately 8:45 a.m., Wednesday, the body of mayoral candidate Marco McMillian was found by the levee off Highway 1.
There is no word yet on the cause of death.

County and state emergency and law enforcement personnel had been searching for McMillian, 34, since another man, who is currently at The Med in Memphis, drove his car into another vehicle.

According to a press release by the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office, at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, McMillian’s vehicle (a dark-colored, full-sized SUV - aTahoe or Yukon), was involved in a head on collision on Highway 49 near the county border of Tallahatchie and Coahoma counties.

Will Rooker, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said he didn’t know how the collision happened and as far as he knew, the sheriff’s office hasn’t assigned anyone blame in the accident. The driver of McMillian’s vehicle was injured and was airlifted to the MED in Memphis and, as of Wednesday morning, he remains there. The other driver was treated at a local hospital and was released.

 

NFL Prospect Nick Kasa Says Recruiters Asked About His Sexual Orientation

Earlier this week I reported on some remarks by sports columnist Mike Florio indicating that NFL recruiters at this year's Combine were interested in finding out whether or not Notre Dame linebacker, Manti Te'o is gay.

The interest presumably stems from questions surrounding Te'o and the fake girlfriend hoax.

However, Te'o is reportedly not the only player to be asked about his sexuality, the HuffPost reports:

NFL prospect Nick Kasa was asked by scouts about his sexual orientation at the NFL Combine, the tight end said in a radio interview on Tuesday.

Kasa, a senior at the University of Colorado, is one of a few hundred players who participated this week in the NFL Scouting Combine, an annual showcase for NFL prospects in advance of April's draft. Over the course of the Combine, participants submit themselves for a variety of physical and mental tests, as well as interviews with NFL teams. According to Kasa, it was during these interviews that the topic of his sexual preferences came up.

“[Teams] ask you like, ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ Are you married?’ Do you like girls?’” Kasa told CJ and Kreckman of ESPN Radio Denver on Tuesday. “Those kinds of things, and you know it was just kind of weird. But they would ask you with a straight face, and it’s a pretty weird experience altogether.”

UPDATE: In remarks regarding this report, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Outsports the league is investigating:

“Like all employers, our teams are expected to follow applicable federal, state and local employment laws. It is league policy to neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process. In addition, there are specific protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the players that prohibit discrimination against any player, including on the basis of sexual orientation. We will look into the report on the questioning of Nick Kasa at the Scouting Combine. Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline.”