Towleroad Talking Points: Sims, O'Reilly and Anti-Pride Month

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

WINGNUTTERY

Openly gay Pennsylvania Representative Brian Simms sat down with Hardball last night and discussed attempts by members of his state's Republican party to keep him from speaking about the DOMA ruling. With the start of July comes the beginning of the Family Research Council's "ex-gay" Pride Month. Which just sounds like probably the least fun month ever. Bill O'Reilly has apparently forgotten that he once argued that the GOP should embrace marriage equality as he spent a good portion of his show complaining about the "political" ruling by the Supreme Court. 

There has been a rash of attacks in the Washington D.C. area as six members of the LGBT community have reported incidents in the past 10 days. Mike Huckabee is also not happy with the Supreme Court's decision to strike down DOMA, oh and he is also not a homophobe. Also, documents show that Cardinal Dolan moved millions of dollars in assets in order to keep them from being awarded to sexual abuse victims. 

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ENTERTAINMENT

Johnny Depp just loves kissing Jimmy Kimmel and Cher talks with The Today Show about the DOMA ruling and her love life. 

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VIDEOS OF THE DAY

This grandma's reaction to her grandson's coming out is just the best ever! How deep is the ocean really? And what happened to all those cicadas that were supposed to descend on New York?

Two Men Harass, Assault LGBT Youth on the NYC Subway After Pride: VIDEO

The two men pictured above harassed and assaulted a group of LGBT youth on the NYC subway on Sunday after Pride festivities.

The uploader of the video writes:

On Sunday, June 30th at around 11:45 PM, I was riding home on the Queens-bound F train following a day of LGBT Pride festivities. Two men were loudly making homophobic comments, such as "Today was a scary day for me. There were fags everywhere." When a group of queer youth got on the train, the men proceeded to harass them, stating that the teens made them want to puke and that they would be killed if they were in Iran. The first assailant then threatened to rape them, at which point I took out my phone to document the incident.

Seeing that he was being recorded, the first assailant lunged at me, violently grabbing my arms while trying to steal away my phone. One of the youth took the phone from me temporarily to protect it and told the assailant he shouldn't attack a woman. When the assailant threatened to punch me, I took the phone back and ran to the other side of the train to push the emergency button and alert the authorities. At this point the second assailant got up and came towards me, grabbing my body and hands to try and get the phone to destroy the evidence. I yelled and told him I was an attorney. An onlooker then got up and stood between the assailants and myself, and another person left to get the train conductor.

A group of people had gathered to stand up to the gay bashers. During this, the second assailant put his hand around the neck of a young queer woman. When the doors opened up at the Roosevelt Ave stop, both assailants fled. I followed them to the station exit while calling 911. One witness had overheard them saying they were on route to Jamaica; they're likely commuters who regularly take this route.

Watch the video, AFTER THE JUMP...

UPDATE: The Anti-Violence Project denounces the incident:

AVP is reaching out to the NYPD about this incident, and is contacting community partner Make the Road New York, and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, and Council Member Ruben Wills in Queens.

REPORTING VIOLENCE HELPS END VIOLENCE: AVP encourages you to report violence you experience or witness to our free and confidential 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek support, or you can report violence anonymously online.

 

Man Shot With BB Gun At St. Pete's Pride In Florida: VIDEO

The Second Amendment was in full-force at Pride parades this weekend. In St. Petersburg, FL a man was shot with a BB gun by 20-year-old Cornelius Davis, and was apparently motivated by anti-gay animus. Tampa Bay Times reports: 

After shouting gay slurs, authorities say, a man shot a spectator on his way to Saturday's St. Pete Pride parade in the leg with a BB gun in what organizers describe as the first violent incident in the event's 11-year history.

[...]

According to a police report, Davis yelled a derogatory term for gay people at the man and a group of friends who were walking to the parade. He yelled that they should "put some clothes on" and that "this is a disgrace, there are kids around here," according to the report.

Davis was quickly arrested, and the unnamed victim suffered only minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. This, on the same day that San Francisco Pride suffered its own shooting incident whose two victims did require hospitalization, one of whom underwent surgery.

The shooting victim talks about the incident and wants Davis charged with a hate crime, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1398

CORNEL WEST: Gays gain under Obama while blacks are being pushed to the back of the bus.

RUSSIAN ROCKET FAIL: A Russian Proton-M rocket exploded shortly after lift-off in Kazakhstan.

MATHEW CAMP: Speaks to The Underwear Expert.

BONNIE MCKEE: "American Girl".

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Wine-Infused Popcorn, Ian Somerhalder, Paula Deen, Poaching

Obama unveils modest anti-poaching proposal in Africa.

What's the rest of the story behind the ruin of Outserve-SLDN?

Judge dismisses three child molestation cases against voice of Elmo Kevin Clash.

Alexander Skarsgard goes shirtless for a family portrait.

Here's Ian Somerhalder nude drinking beer in a bathtub.

Wine-infused popcorn? "While the company sells a few different flavors, their newest are boozy treats indeed. You can choose between Pinot Noir Drizzle and Sauvignon Blanc Kettle."

Seattle Gay Pride, in photos.

NJ Democratic leaders to hold press conference to urge push for marriage equality.

Istanbul's Taksim Square transformed by Pride: "It was an undeniable success, and organizers were justifiably delighted. But under any other circumstances, things might have been very different. Homosexual conduct between consenting adults is legal in Turkey, but far from accepted. Prejudice is widespread: 84 percent of Turkish people said gays or lesbians were among the groups they would least like living in their area, according to 2011 research conducted as part of the World Values Survey."

Wintourized: Jennifer Lawrence to cover Vogue's September issue.

Lady Gaga's Pride diary.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad on the DOMA rulings: “I guess it depends upon your perspective and your point of view on those things,” Branstad told reporters during his weekly news conference at the Iowa Capitol. “I guess people can make your their own judgment on that. We’re going to live with the law and make whatever adjustments are necessary.”

Montana wingnut: “This is a Christian nation with Christian roots,” Erickson said. “(The Founding Fathers) founded this nation on Christian values and said this Constitution would only work with a righteous people. When people choose evil … it will take us away from that and the Constitution won’t work any more.”

CNN panel: 'N-word' vs. 'Cracker'.

Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth have a 90210 reunion with Chippendale Ian Ziering.

Reconciling gay identity with Orthodox upbringing through a tattoo: "I chose what I call my T-spot, the place on my left bicep where I place my tefillin box when I pray every morning. I knew that until my tattoo healed, I would be unable to wear tefillin, which I had done every day since just before my bar mitzvah. Even though I was drifting away from the Orthodox identity I’d grown up with, laying tefillin was one of the only commandments that still made me feel a physical connection with G-d. I had learned that tefillin is placed on one’s bicep because G-d represents strength; when the box is placed on the bicep in a manner that faces your heart, it shows that G-d is truly in your heart."

Paula Deen headed to Dancing with the Stars?

Boy Culture's big wrap up of Cher's performance at NYC LGBT Pride.

Marching with Russians in the NYC LGBT Pride parade.

Russell Brand on his Morning Joe appearance: "When I landed in my chair, on camera, and was introduced to the show's hosts – a typical trident of blonde, brunette and affable chump – it became clear that, in spite of the show's stated left-leaning inclination, the frequency they were actually broadcasting was the shrill, white noise of dumb current affairs."

Judge orders Michigan to stop enforcing a law barring community colleges and many other government agencies (though not universities) from providing any benefits to the same-sex partners of employees: 'While the ruling is only an injunction, Judge David Lawson used strong language in suggesting that he will soon throw out the law for good. He cited the Supreme Court's recent decision rejecting the federal Defense of Marriage Act to say that states cannot enact laws with the goal of discriminating against groups of people. '[I]t is hard to argue with a straight face that the primary purpose -- indeed, perhaps the sole purpose -- of the statute is other than to deny health benefits to the same-sex partners of public employees,' he wrote."

Family Research Council Heralds' 'Ex-Gay Pride Month' with Launch of Two New Hate Organizations

Hate group Family Research Council is planning a dinner and reception to announce two new 'ex-gay' rights organizations and a line-up of familiar anti-gay wingnuts has been invited to speak, the HuffPost reports:

The event is scheduled for the end of July, just weeks after the Supreme Court's landmark rulings in favor of gay rights. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has been extended an invitation as an honorable attendee.

The Family Research Council's legislative affiliate, FRC Action, will officially launch two new ex-gay rights organizations, Voice of the Voiceless and Equality and Justice For All, during the dinner in Washington, D.C., on July 31.

"Come celebrate the lives of former homosexuals and hear about their unique stories and achievements!" reads the invitation.

In addition to Bachman, the Heritage Foundation's Jim DeMint, the Liberty Counsel's Matthew Staver and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) -- who on Friday introduced a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage -- have all been invited to speak.