NORTH CAROLINA. Michelangelo Signorile on how the Tar Heel State passed its “Blood-Curdling Anti-LGBT Law Right Before Our Eyes”: “…the Human Rights Campaign, endorsed a candidate (Hillary Clinton) before even any votes were cast — something it hasn’t done in the recent presidential elections until after the presidential primaries were over — and thus the candidates weren’t competing for the LGBT vote by actually talking about the issues. But many other LGBT groups with big platforms, from the often enormously effective National Center for Lesbian Rights (which took the lead in pressuring politicians and groups to drop the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, with its dangerous religious exemptions) to the DC-based National LGBTQ Task Force, the oldest group advocating on behalf of LGBTQ people, have been missing in action during the presidential race. And the brash and loud direct action group, Get Equal, known for powerful protests over the past eight years, pushing President Obama to act, has been on mute.”
IMPROV EVERYWHERE. Four sets of identical twins perform an elaborate prank on NYC’s subway.
SALAH ABDESLAM. Paris terror suspect captured days before Brussels attack “wants transfer to France ASAP”: “The most important part of the file is in France. His explanations have to go there.” Abdeslam claims he had no knowledge that the Brussels attack would happen prior to his arrest.
NOT-SO-SECRET-SOCIETY. Freemasons wonder, “Is banning gays or being gay un-Masonic?”
ROYALS. Prince Harry continues to share photos of his trip to Nepal.
Prince Harry wanted to share his favourite photos from Leorani village where he stayed the night with a local family pic.twitter.com/tghJsnDxMM
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 24, 2016
BRUSSELS. Brothers involved in terror attack reportedly spied on a top nuclear researcher and hopes to build a “dirty bomb”: “Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were responsible for planting a hidden camera outside the Belgian researcher’s house, according to Claude Moniquet, a French former intelligence official who was hired to investigate potential plots targeting Europe’s nuclear sector.”
ARIZONA. GOP county recorder in Maricopa County says she’s to blame for voter suppression, won’t resign: “We certainly made bad decisions, and having only 60 polling places, didn’t anticipate there would be that many people going to the polling places. We were obviously wrong — that’s my fault. So we’ll certainly look at that for future elections. I’m not going to resign. And the electorate is free to do whatever they want to do.”
TRANS. Men’s Health Germany cover model Ben Melzer talks about trans visibility and competing in the magazine’s cover contest: “Some of [the other contestants] had no idea about my past — that I’m a trans guy. Some knew, but when they saw me, they didn’t believe it — and they were very curious, but in a respectful way. They asked me a lot of things, and I guess it was easy for them and easy for everyone to handle, because I’m very open. You can ask me almost anything. I don’t get mad about somebody asking things because I think it’s important to educate, and to open up their minds. To make transgender, like, normal — to have them know that it wasn’t a choice.”
NOM. Brian Brown attacks John Kasich: “If you liked John Boehner, you’ll like John Kasich – lot’s [sic] of talk but no guts to actually fight for conservative principles like preserving marriage. … That is why NOM is committed to ensuring that the American people learn the truth about Kasich and make him toxic as a potential vice presidential pick.”
NATURE. Japanese fleet kills 333 whales while on Antarctic hunt: “Under the International Whaling Commission, to which Japan is a signatory, there has been a moratorium on hunting whales since 1986. But Japan persists in the practice using a loophole in the ban that allows for lethal research. Tokyo claims it is trying to prove the whale population is large enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting, and says it has to kill the mammals to carry out its research properly.”
TORTURE. World’s largest psychiatric association calls for end to conversion therapy and for legalization of homosexuality everywhere: “There is no sound scientific evidence that innate sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality can create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish, and they can be potentially harmful.”
LEG DAY. Ben Tomasek serves up PG leg day thirst.
