Category Archives: Of Interest

LET US PREY - Christian Crimes Against The Innocent This Week.

LET US PREY – Christian Crimes Against The Innocent This Week.

#NotADragQueen – #NotLGBT

Every week Back2Stonewall will highlight the hypocrisy and lies of the Republican party and Extremist “Christian” Right to expose the truth about them.

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The Justice Department:

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 2, 2023, a criminal complaint was issued charging Cory J. Herthel (age: 40) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with attempted production of child pornography and the transfer of obscene material to a Venezuelan child.

The attempted production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years of incarceration in federal prison upon conviction. The transfer of obscene materials charge carries up to ten years’ imprisonment. A conviction on either charge would require Herthel to register as a sexual offender.

According to the criminal complaint, Herthel met the child while performing missionary work and thereafter maintained contact with the child online. Herthel encouraged the minor to send him videos of the child’s genitalia in exchange for monetary payments. He is further alleged to have sent the child images of his genitals.

#NOTLGBT #NotADragQueen

Religion News Service reports:

A group of former followers of Dave Ramsey has sued the Christian finance guru and radio host, along with his company and a marketing firm, for endorsing a failed timeshare exit company that allegedly defrauded customers out of millions.

Seventeen former Ramsey listeners filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington alleging Ramsey was paid as much as $30 million from 2015 to 2021 to endorse Timeshare Exit Team, a Kirkland, Washington-based firm that collected $200 million from clients — many of them Ramsey listeners — in exchange for a promise to free them from their timeshare obligations.

But the company, which often collected more than $5,000 per customer, failed to live up to its promises. In 2021, Reed Hein & Associates LLC, which did business as Timeshare Exit Team, paid $2.61 million to settle a deceptive business practices lawsuit filed by the attorney general of Washington state and later went out of business.

#NOTLGBT #NotADragQueen

Harrisburg’s Fox affiliate reports:

Police say they found two images and one video of child pornography on Dasilva’s phone on March 1 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC allegedly detected child pornography on an email account and Twitch account traced to Ephrata Borough.

Police say Dasilva, a former youth pastor, failed to register his Twitch account and email address with Pennsylvania State Police, which was a condition of a prior conviction.

And once again.

#NOTLGBT #NotADragQueen

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE RECENT ATTACKS ON THE LGBT COMMUNITY AND STORES LIKE TARGET IS BEING LED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND CPAC? NOW YOU DO.

JJames Van Der Beek Cancels Self. Dawson Becomes Fox News' New Darling.

James Van Der Beek Cancels Self. Dawson Becomes Fox News’ New Darling.

No Dawson. Noooooooooooooooooo!

On Tuesday, actor James Van Der Beek took to Instagram to call out the Democratic National Committee for their unified backing of President Joe Biden, who’s preparing to announce his bid for re-election in 2024 and Dawson is not happy. Currently, the DNC has no primary debates scheduled for Biden and the very few of his Democratic opponents.

Van Der Beek is obviously NOT a Joe Biden or Kamala Harris fan. Either that or he’s a closet Republican spreading strife. Still not sure which one it is yet.

“I cannot get over the fact that the Democratic National Committee is saying there will not be a debate to decide the nominee for president,” the 46-year-old actor said, while pushing his child in a stroller. “Are you fucking kidding me? There’s no debate?”

“There’s no debate over an 80-year-old man who, if he lives, will be the oldest sitting president in the history of the country?” he continued. “And if he doesn’t live, has a vice president whose approval rating is worse than his?”

‘This guy has obviously declining mental faculties. You’re putting him up in front of a podium with flashcards telling him who to call on and what the questions are going to be. And you’re telling us there’s no debate? What about the will of the people?”

Daily Beast

Fox & Friends’ Steve Douchey Doocy applauded Van Der Beek for “ripping into” the DNC and interpreting his words as an alignment with the Republican Party. Doocey didn’t mention the fact that l Donald Trump has also weighed skipping out on the Republican National Committee’s primary debates.

Van Der Beek’s political views aren’t known, although he’s been associated with progressive causes in the past. His wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, on the other hand, has previously promoted anti-vax conspiracies and the couple has recently moved to Texas.

#JustSaying

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 2023! Including a VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE from Matt Bomer!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 2023! Including a VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE from Matt Bomer!

A Happy PRIDE MONTH 2023 to all including our FANTASTIC LGBT STR8 Allies!

Pride Month is a month-long celebration and recognition of the LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and others) community. It is observed in June each year and is marked by various events, parades, parties, and activities that promote LGBT+ rights, equality, and diversity.

It’s important to note that Pride month is not just a celebration, but also a reminder that there is still so much work to be done to achieve full equality and acceptance for the LGBT+ community.

Remember: PRIDE Month is not to be confused with LGBT History Month which falls in October.

To celebrate PRIDE 2023 we are playing the cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us” by Matt Bomer and Alan Mingo Jr. from HBO’s “Doom Patrol”.

And after all the abuse the LGBT community has taken these past 2 years the message is clear.

Get Angry, protect each other, fight, and stay the course!

Our lives depend on it.

“Hey, everybody loses it
Everybody wants to throw it all away sometimes
And hey, yeah I know what you’re going through
Don’t let it get the best of you, you’ll make it out alive

Oh, people like us we’ve gotta stick together
Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever
Here’s to the damned to the lost and forgotten
It’s hard to get high when you’re living on the bottom…

Hey, this is not a funeral
It’s a revolution, after all your tears have turned to rage
Just wait, everything will be okay
Even when you’re feeling like it’s going down in flames.

Oh, people like us we’ve gotta stick together
Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever
Here’s to the damned to the lost and forgotten
It’s hard to get high when you’re living on the bottom.

They can’t do nothing to you, they can’t do nothing to me
This is the life that we choose, this is the life that we bleed
So throw your fists in the air, come out, come out if you dare
Tonight we’re gonna change forever

Listen to the lyrics my children. And FIGHT!

Gay History - May, 24 BC: First Recorded Same-Sex Couple Buried In Egyptian Tomb

Gay History – May, 24 BC: First Recorded Same-Sex Couple Buried In Egyptian Tomb

Walk like an Egyptian!

The Pyramid of Unas is located at the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara, near Cairo, Egypt. It is the final resting place of Pharaoh Unas, who ruled during the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom period, around 2375-2345 BCE.

In 1964 in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Moussa discovered a series of tombs with rock-cut passages in the escarpment facing the causeway that lead to the pyramid of Unas.  Chief Inspector Mounir Basta reported crawling on his hands and knees through the passages, entering one of the Old Kingdom tombs discovering burial chambers of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum servants and royal confidants at the Palace of King Niuserre during the Fifth Dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs and are believed to be the first recorded same-sex couple in recorded history.

Though homosexuality was not uncommon in Ancient Egypt, the exact nature of the relationship between the two men is nearly impossible to discern since no evidence exists beyond the imagery in the tomb.

The main portrait of the ‘boys’ in the tomb shows them nose to nose in a close embrace, a clone of the portrait style used in other Egyptian tomb art of the era to showcase male-female married couples and the hieroglyphs in the tomb have their names are strung together in a blessings that translates as “joined in life and joined in death.”

While some Egyptian scholars scoffed at the idea of this being an example of early same-sex coupling. Many disagree chalking up the denials to nothing more than blatant homophobia.

“Calling attention to the most intimate scene of the two embracing men,” Greg Reeder, an independent scholar in San Francisco and a contributing editor of KMT, a magazine of Egyptian art and history said: “They are so close together here that not only are they face to face and nose to nose, but so close that the knots on their belts are touching, linking their lower torsos. If this scene were composed of a male-female couple instead of the same-sex couple we have here, there would be a little question concerning what it is we are seeing.”

The necropolis of Saqqara is a remarkably preserved archeological find and is one of the largest and most beautifully decorated tombs in Saqqara and strongly suggests that whatever the nature of the relationship between the two men was, the pharaoh approved of it.

first gay couple tomb
first gay couple wall
What's Going On In Provincetown, MA This Summer? Here Are The Deets.

What’s Going On In Provincetown, MA This Summer? Here Are All The Deets.

Provincetown, MA which has a rich historical LGBT past has released its summer schedule of highlights and events, and it’s spectacular!

There are unforgettable nights of music and drag shows ahead at The Art House, with performers like Audra McDonald, Jessie Muller, Seth Rudetsky, Monét X Change, Max von Essen, Jeremy Jordan, and Samara Joy. Summertime brings days at the beach, nights at the clubs, and the Friday Night Gallery Stroll, and let’s not forget the Provincetown Theatre Company run by the fabulous David Drake. All in America’s oldest continuous art colony. Here’s a look at what’s coming up:

JUNE: Provincetown Pride kicks off the summer season June 2-4, 2023. This year, it’s a packed schedule with the sixth annual Provincetown Pride Festival, the Pride Rally, and the Sashay to Tea on the Saturday afternoon of Pride weekend. The festivities include the Pride Cruise from Boston, the Full Spectrum Pride Kickoff Party at Red Room, and the 2nd Annual Queer Comedy Showcase at Town Hall. The Feet Over Front Street 5K Run / Walk will be held on Sunday, June 4, a rainbow run on Ptown’s main drag.

June also welcomes Womxn of Color Weekend (June 1-4), a four-day Pride event designed to elevate, strengthen, educate, and celebrate LGBTQ+ women of color, trans-, nonbinary and genderfluid people of color, and their accomplices while Frolic (June 15-19) is for Queer People of Color. This year is the 25th anniversary of the Provincetown Film Festival (June 14-18), Provincetown’s premier cultural event, attracting 10,000 plus film-goers, movie buffs, and arts patrons over the five-day festival. This year’s theme of Cabaret Fest (June 5-11) is “Sondheim By the Sea,” celebrating the genius of Stephen Sondheim and other great Broadway composers with 13 shows, with Broadway veteran Karen Mason. Juneteenth (June 19) brings together Black/African Americans, Indigenous Persons, People of Color, young leaders from the Provincetown IB School, allied community members, organizers, and leaders to honor the day.

JULY: REVOLUTION: Independence Week (July 1-8) is Provincetown’s renowned 4th of July Circuit Party week, with international DJs, dance parties, and pool parties. That leads into Bear Week (8-15), a yearly gathering of bears, wolves, cubs, and otters, for a week of parties, events, and shows. The standout summer event for women, Girl Splash (July 19-22), is about parties, solo meet-ups, schooner sail, beach bonfires, and Lesbian Beach. Then there’s Family Week (July 22-29) is the largest annual gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified families in the world.

AUGUST: Carnival (August 12-19) is the summertime peak, Provincetown’s original summer celebration of community, expression, and creativity, a fantastic event created by the Provincetown Business Guild in 1978. Grand Marshal this year is Jason Carter (aka Monica Moore), and the theme is Land of Toys. This festive week brings tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ participants to town, a jam-packed seven days of parties, events, costume contests, and the famous Carnival parade down Commercial Street.

P’TOWN TRIVIA: Did you know.? There had been a gay presence in Provincetown as early as the start of the 20th century as the artists’ colony developed, along with experimental theatre. Drag queens could be seen in performances as early as the 1940s in Provincetown.

*This IS NOT a paid advertisement or sponsored post.

LA Dodgers Apologize, Re-Invite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We “Sincerely Apologize”.

LA Dodgers Apologize, Re-Invite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We “Sincerely Apologize”.

As we reported last week. Ahead of its June 16 Pride Night, the Los Angeles Dodgers officially removed The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from their Pride Night honoree list after being duped by two “Catholic” hate groups; CatholicVote.org and Bill Donoghue of the Catholic League that has no affiliation to the Catholic church and who bombarded the team with messages because they were honoring a ” blatantly perverted, sexual and disgusting anti-Catholic hate group.”

After the Sisters were removed from the Dodgers’ Pride Night, LA Pride dropped out of the event in solidarity, writing, “Pride is a fight for equality and inclusion for the entire LGBTQ community and we’re not going to stop now.” At the time, the Sisters wrote that they were “offended and outraged” by the team’s decision to rescind their invitation and succumb to “pressure” and “misleading information.”

Well the LA Dodgers have finally done their due diligence after much blowback and complaints and have apologized to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

“After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence … the Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies,” the team said in a statement Monday afternoon after meeting with leaders of the group. (see below)

The Sisters have graciously accepted.

“A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept,” the Sisters said. “We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them.”

The Sister of Perpetual Indulgence is a non-profit whose decades of service in the community have been well-documented, and many viewed the Dodgers’ decision as being duped and caving to right-wing fundamentalists. hate groups.

Pressure and Boycotts DO WORK.

Gay History – May 23, 1920: Harvard University’s “Secret Court” Expels 10 Students for Homosexuality.

On May 13, 1920, Cyril Wilcox a Harvard undergraduate committed suicide after telling his older brother, George, that he had been having an affair with another man. Shortly after Cyril’s death, George intercepted two letters from a Harvard student and a recent graduate.  George, a clerk at the granite mills in Fall River, decided to act. He tracked down his brother’s former lover, Harry Dreyfus, who lived in Boston. Dreyfus, after he was beaten by George Wilcox, denied responsibility for Cyril’s suicide but gave three names of other men involved: Roberts, Harvard Dental School student Eugene R. Cummings and Pat Courtney, a non-Harvard man living in Boston.

George took these letters to Harvard’s Acting Dean, Chester N Greenough, and shared with him what he knew. After consulting with Harvard President Abbot Lowell, Greenough formed a special five-man tribunal on this date in history which became known as the “Secret Court.”

The court launched a wide-ranging witch hunt, with Greenough summoning each witness one by one with a brief note. Thirty-seven men testified before the Court, including a tutor, an assistant professor, Harvard students, and several Boston men. 

The Court’s inquiry was exhaustive, posing questions about masturbation practices, sex with women or men, cross-dressing, overnight guests, parties, and reading habits. The scope of the inquiry soon expanded to area businesses, cafés, and bars. Eight students were expelled, ordered to leave Cambridge, and reported to their families. They were also told that Harvard would disclose the reasons for their expulsion if employers or other schools sought references. Four others unconnected to Harvard were also deemed “guilty.” The school couldn’t punish them directly, but they did pressure one café to fire a waiter.

In 2002, a researcher from Harvard’s daily newspaper, The Crimson, came across a box of files labeled “Secret Court” in the University’s archives. After pressure from the newspaper staff the University finally released five hundred documents related to the Court’s work, and The Crimson published its findings in November of that year. Harvard’s president Lawrence H. Summers responded to the revelations, expressing deep regret for the anguish the students and families experienced.

 Based on actual court documents, “Perkins 28” the video documentary below dramatizes the testimony from the Secret Court Files of 1920,  Filmed in Cambridge, MA, and starring Harvard undergraduates. 

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#OTD - Remembering The White Night Riots of San Francisco: May 21, 1979

#OTD – Remembering The White Night Riots of San Francisco: May 21, 1979

On May 21, 1979, San Francisco witnessed a pivotal moment in the history of gay and lesbian rights —the White Night Riots. These riots erupted in response to the lenient sentence given to Dan White, a former city supervisor, for the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The events of that night not only showcased the anger and frustration of the gay community but also marked a turning point in the fight for equality and sparked a renewed determination for change.

To understand the significance of the White Night Riots, it is important to understand the context leading up to that fateful day. Harvey Milk, a prominent gay rights activist, had become the first openly gay elected official in California. His election symbolized hope and progress for the gay community, which had long suffered from discrimination, violence, and police brutality. However, their hopes were shattered when Milk and Mayor George Moscone were brutally assassinated by Dan White, a former police officer and colleague.

The trial of Dan White gripped the nation, as it brought to light the inequality faced by the gay and lesbian population at the time. However, the outcome of the trial was met with widespread outrage and disappointment. White was charged with voluntary manslaughter rather than first-degree murder, a decision that many believed downplayed the severity of the crime and used the infamous “Twinkie defense”. The lenient sentence handed down—a mere seven years and eight months—sparked fury among the community and their allies as a blatant miscarriage of justice.

On the evening of May 21, 1979, thousands of protesters gathered at City Hall in response to the verdict. Initially, the demonstration was peaceful, with people holding candles and mourning the loss of their leaders. However, as the night wore on, frustration turned to anger, and the situation escalated. The crowd vented their outrage by breaking windows, setting police cars on fire, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement. The rioters’ display of anger and frustration forced society to confront the systemic biases that had allowed for the lenient treatment of Dan White. It galvanized support for gay rights and fueled a wave of activism that reverberated far beyond the borders of San Francisco.

The White Night Riots of May 21, 1979, will forever be remembered as a pivotal moment in the gay rights movement. These riots were born out of frustration, outrage, and a deep desire for justice. They served as a wake-up call to a nation grappling with inequality and discrimination.

The riots should serve as a history lesson to a new generation of activists highlighting the importance of perseverance in the pursuit of equality for all. The legacy of the White Night Riots continues to remind us of the ongoing struggle for justice and the necessity of collective action to create a more inclusive world.

May 20, 1996 - Romer v. Evans: A Landmark Supreme Court Decision Defending LGBT Rights.

May 20, 1996 – Romer v. Evans: A Landmark Supreme Court Decision Defending LGBT Rights.

On May 20, 1996, the United States Supreme Court delivered a momentous verdict in Romer v. Evans, a case that challenged a discriminatory Colorado constitutional amendment known as Amendment 2. This landmark decision marked a significant step forward in the protection of LGBT+ rights and set a precedent for future legal battles. In this article, we will explore the background, arguments, and implications of Romer v. Evans.

Background and Legal Challenge

Amendment 2, enacted in 1992, sought to deny protected status to individuals based on their sexual orientation by prohibiting any legislation that would grant protected status to homosexual and bisexual individuals. It prevented any city, town, or county in Colorado from enacting anti-discrimination laws or policies to protect LGBT+ individuals from discrimination. This exclusionary amendment was met with widespread criticism and legal challenges.

The case was brought before the Supreme Court by Richard G. Evans, a gay man who served as a Denver city employee. Evans argued that Amendment 2 violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law to all citizens.

Supreme Court Ruling

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Richard Evans and struck down Amendment 2 as unconstitutional. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, argued that Amendment 2 lacked a rational basis and was grounded in animosity towards LGBT+ individuals rather than any legitimate governmental interest. The Court concluded that the amendment classified a group of citizens based on their sexual orientation and denied them the protection and benefits granted to others, infringing upon their fundamental rights.

Implications and Legacy

Romer v. Evans represented a significant victory for LGBT+ rights, as the Supreme Court declared that laws targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation were subject to the same constitutional scrutiny as laws discriminating on the basis of race or gender. The decision undermined the notion that sexual orientation could be used as a basis for unequal treatment under the law.

The ruling in Romer v. Evans set an important precedent for subsequent LGBTQ+ rights cases, including Lawrence v. Texas (2003) and United States v. Windsor (2013), which ultimately led to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). It marked a turning point in the fight against discrimination and laid the foundation for greater legal protections for LGBT+ individuals.

Romer v. Evans also had broader implications beyond LGBT+ rights. The decision reaffirmed the fundamental principle of equal protection under the law and highlighted the importance of combating discrimination in all forms. It underscored the judiciary’s role in safeguarding the rights of marginalized groups and promoting equality and justice for all.

Conclusion

Romer v. Evans was a watershed moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, as the Supreme Court struck down a discriminatory amendment and reaffirmed the principle of equal protection under the law. The decision paved the way for subsequent legal victories and marked a significant step forward in the recognition and protection of LGBT+ individuals’ rights. Romer v. Evans serves as a reminder of the power of the judiciary to combat discrimination and uphold the principles of equality and justice for all.

May 19, 1948 - Grace Jones: An Icon of Music and a Champion of the LGBT Community Is Born.

May 19, 1948 – Grace Jones: An Icon of Music and a Champion of the LGBT Community Is Born.

The bisexual music icon and legend is a true warrior in the war for individuality and inclusion.

Grace Jones, the Jamaican-born singer, model, and actress, is a true icon of the music industry. With her unique androgynous style, powerful voice, and fierce stage presence, she has captivated audiences for decades. However, beyond her undeniable talent and success, Jones has also cultivated a strong and devoted following within the gay community, becoming an emblematic figure for queer individuals around the world.

Born on May 19, 1948, in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Grace Jones embarked on her journey to stardom in the 1970s. From the beginning, she defied conventional norms of femininity, embracing a bold and androgynous style that challenged traditional gender roles. Her striking looks, coupled with her fearless attitude, quickly caught the attention of the fashion world, leading to a successful modeling career.

Jones’s entrance into the music industry came in the late 1970s with her debut album “Portfolio.” Blending disco, new wave, and reggae influences, she established herself as a unique and boundary-pushing artist. Her subsequent albums, including “Nightclubbing” and “Slave to the Rhythm,” showcased her versatility and experimental nature, fusing genres and pushing artistic boundaries. Jones’s music resonated with the LGBTQ+ community, offering an anthem for self-expression, liberation, and nonconformity.

Jones’s connection with her gay fan base is rooted in more than just her music. She has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and a staunch supporter of the community throughout her career. Her presence in LGBT spaces, such as gay clubs and pride events, has fostered a deep sense of connection and admiration. By unapologetically embracing her own individuality, she has become an inspiration to many LGBT individuals who have faced societal pressures to conform.

Moreover, Jones’s fearless and bold approach to fashion has been celebrated within the LGBT community. Her elaborate costumes, extravagant makeup, and avant-garde hairstyles have made her an icon of fashion. Her willingness to take risks and challenge societal norms of beauty and gender has resonated deeply with queer individuals, who often find solace and empowerment in expressing their true selves through fashion.

Jones’s influence on the LGBT community extends beyond her music and fashion choices. As an openly bisexual woman, she has shattered taboos surrounding sexual orientation and continues to inspire queer individuals to embrace their identities fully. Her openness about her own experiences and her support for queer rights have made her a beloved figure within the community.

In recent years, as conversations about inclusivity and representation have gained prominence, the importance of figures like Grace Jones cannot be overstated. Her unapologetic embrace of her own identity and her unwavering support for LGBT rights have paved the way for a more accepting and diverse world. By using her platform to amplify queer voices and experiences, she has fostered a sense of belonging and acceptance within the LGBT community.

Grace Jones is much more than a talented singer and model; she is a beacon of empowerment and acceptance for the LGBT community. Her music, style, and advocacy work have resonated deeply with queer individuals, offering inspiration, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. Grace Jones’s impact extends far beyond the stage, leaving an indelible mark on both the music industry and the fight for LGBT rights. As we celebrate her incredible career and influence, we also recognize the profound importance of representation and visibility in shaping a more inclusive society for all.