Moldova Overturns 'Gay Propaganda' Ban To Join European Union

Last June Moldova passed a law banning the promotion of "relationships than those linked to marriage and the family" to children, a bit of legislation that was strongly supported and promoted by the Orthodox Church. However, the country is trying to secure membership in the European Union and lawmakers figured that following in the footsteps of Russia was probably not the best method to achieve that goal. Yesterday, the Moldovan government overturned the ban of promoting homosexuality to minors.

Moscow opposed the decision, as did many Orthodox Christians, dozens of whom gathered outside the parliament building to protest and tried to prevent lawmakers from entering. "Today they are allowing this propaganda and tomorrow they will allow gay marriages," said priest Ghenadie Valuta.

One can only hope.

New Hampshire Congressional Seat - Democrat Incumbent Vs. Gay Republican: VIDEO

This past Wednesday University of New Hampshire Dean of Business and Economics Dan Innis announced that he would be running for the congressional seat for the Republican party versus the incumbent Democrat, Carol Shea-Porter. Dan Innis also happens to be a gay man and makes mention of both his husband and their children in his announcement video. It's an encouraging sign of equality advancement when a gay man can be a viable Republican candidate without being completely disavowed by the howler monkeys on the right wing.

It's also a sign that doublespeak and falsehoods are not a monopoly owned by far right heterosexuals; Innis brings up how he was raised in a blue-collar family that learned the value of hard work and responsible financial management, but comes out pro big business and calls the Affordable Care Act a "disastrous takeover of health care that directly attacks families, small businesses, and seniors." He doesn't give specifics that could be fact-checked, but the small business claim is most likely of the three to be completely false from every angle.

So, gay or not, Dan Innis is still just another Republican. Dan's announcement video can be seen AFTER THE JUMP...

Florida GOP Representative Calls Homosexuality 'Dysfunctional' And 'Atypical,' Makes Drug Abuse Comparison: Video

Earlier this week, Republican Representative Dennis K. Baxley made the homophobic statements while discussing bad parenting during a meeting of the Florida Education Committee’s K-12 subcommittee.

Said Baxley:

"It's easy to say parents need to get involved, but half these kids are raising themselves. They don't have any parents that are functional. How can we address that? I mean I sat an hour and a half with a teacher telling me: 'This child has got serial men coming through the house, this one has two mommies, this one has abusive father whose home, this has alcoholism, this one has drug abuse.' It was a casualty warfare event to hear -- just her classroom -- how many dysfunctional, atypical - to me - structures are in the way of a kid having a chance to learn."

Equality Florida has demanded Baxley apologize for his statements:

“We hope Representative Baxley has the decency to apologize for his comments disparaging gay parents and our children.  More than that, we invite Representative Baxley to educate himself, talk with us and actually meet our families. We are a diverse state and no elected official can fulfill their oath of office if they only respect and care about the people and families that look just like their own."

Watch a clip of Baxley's anti-gay statements, AFTER THE JUMP. 

News: Marvel Vs. DC, Charlie Hunnam, Uganda, Apple

 Marvel Comics writer responds to a DC Comics executive who claims the lack of gay weddings in books DC publishes is due to the fact that superheroes are not supposed to be happy: "It's just lazy storytelling."

 Charile Hunnam will not be Christian Grey after all.

 Documentary film director Roger Ross Williams on the rise of anti-gay animosity in Uganda: "Everyone I've talked to in my film has said, 'You know, look America's lost.' As marriage equality has passed, America is lost to them, but they are winning the war in Uganda. And they believe that this war will be won by eradicating what they believe is sexual sin, and that means homosexuality. And that message gets translated very differently in an African context."

 Boston mayoral candidate announces proposal to protect LGBT youth: "Martin J. Walsh released Friday what he called a comprehensive platform to protect gays and lesbians, including designated “safe spaces” for gay youths in schools."

 Justin Bieber's 'stache.

 Here's a preview of Apple's upcoming flying saucer-like new headquarters.

 Several national parks closed as part of the government shutdown have now re-opened - thanks to state money.

 Graham Norton on camp: "It’s a much harder thing to accept than being gay. Gay is easy. Being camp is difficult in that it comes with judgment all round."

 Richard Simmons gets doused in purple.

 Conservative political action committee. whose goal was essentially to notify voters San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio is gay, has been fined $7,500 violating campaign disclosure laws: "The group, called Conservatives for Gay Rights Supporting Carl DeMaio for Mayor 2012, did not provide the names of its principals or a valid street address, according to the city Ethics Commission, which announced the fine Friday. It also did not keep records explaining its expenditures, the commission said."

Republican Aide Fired After Suggesting Cory Booker Is Gay

A top aide to Republican senate candidate Steve Lonegan has been fired after making comments about Lonegan's rival in the race, Cory Booker.

On Thursday, Talking Points Memo published a bizarre interview they conducted with the aide, Rick Shaftan, in which he makes several crass and homophobic remarks.

In a profanity-filled assessment of the race delivered via phone Thursday, Rick Shaftan, a senior staffer and key strategist on Lonegan's campaign, suggested voters would be turned off by Booker's "odd" behavior including Twitter messages the Democrat sent to a stripper, that Shaftan described as "strange" and "like what a gay guy would say."

"It was just weird. I mean, to me, you know, hey, if he said, 'Hey, you got really hot breasts man, I'd love to suck on them.' Then like, yeah, cool. But like, he didn't say that," Shaftan explained. "It was like kind of like, I don't know, it was like what a gay guy would say to a stripper. It's the way he was talking to her. It's just like like there was no sexual interest at all. I don't know. To me, if I was single and you know like some stripper was tweeting me, I might take advantage of the perks of the office, you know?"

Shaftan was informed of his termination later that day.

According to The Star-Ledger, Lonegan issued the following statement about his now former employee soon after: “His comments are distasteful and offensive, and his contract as a vendor for my campaign will be terminated immediately.”

Shaftan has since posted a non-apology on his Facebook page.

I apologize to Steve Lonegan and his supporters if any statements I have made have hurt his candidacy and do not want these comments or my presence in this campaign to serve as a distraction to his efforts to win this election and save our nation from the radical left-wing policies of Barack Obama and Cory Booker.

All this takes place just ahead of the special election this Tuesday.

Protesters Disrupt Gay Rights Demonstration In Russia

The anti-gay protesters attacked the small group of demonstrators who were taking part in an International Coming Out Day march at a park in St. Petersburg this morning.

Reuters reports: 

The anti-gay demonstrators included several elderly women who chanted Russian Orthodox prayers. "The homophobes broke up the action with the help of the police," said Natalia Tsymbalova, one of the organizers of the gay rights demo.

Another demonstrator called Maria told Reuters that when a pro-gay demonstrator tried to unfurl a rainbow-colored flag, she was manhandled to the ground and the flag torn from her.

A police representative told Reuters that 67 people had been detained. They included both gay rights activists and their opponents.

Approximately 15-20 people took part in the pro-gay march, which had been approved by St. Petersburg city officials. The group of anti-gay protesters numbered at about three times that number. Video from the clash has not yet surfaced but I will post it as soon as it does.

UPDATE: Watch video of the altercations, which includes footage of a pro-gay supporter trying to hold on to the rainbow flag several hooligans attempt to wrestle away from her, AFTER THE JUMP.

(Thanks to KevinVT for the tip)