2016-06-22

FLORIDA. Marco Rubio to seek reelection in U.S. Senate, reversing promise: “In a major reversal highlighting Republican fear over losing the Senate majority and his own ambition, Marco Rubio on Wednesday will break a longstanding promise not to seek re-election, becoming an instant favorite but facing the challenge of running in a presidential year featuring Donald Trump.”

READ: My statement on @marcorubio's decision to enter #flsen: pic.twitter.com/wP9hyMtsA3

— Patrick Murphy (@PatrickMurphyFL) June 22, 2016

ORLANDO. Attack inspires some to come out as gay: “I just had to let them know,” said Mr. Casillas, 19, a soon-to-be college freshman who had been dancing at Pulse for more than year, unbeknown to his Puerto Rican father and Cuban mother. His mother had raised him in a church where parishioners learned that gay people went to hell. “This is getting to be a bigger part of me every day that passes on,” he said of his sexuality. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to keep that from my family.”

NYT. Why Clinton won’t pick Elizabeth Warren as running mate.

OREGON. DMV won’t issue driver’s license to nonbinary person. “An Oregon judge decided this month that a person can legally identify as neither sex, but the Oregon DMV will need months — maybe years — before it can issue a driver’s license with a nonbinary sex designation, according to a spokesman.”

SINGAPORE. Ban on foreign countries sponsoring its LGBT rights Pink Dot day comes under fire: “The ministry’s June 7 statement sends a discriminatory message to Pink Dot’s corporate sponsors that their support for the festival is contrary to government policy,” Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Home Minister K. Shanmugam.

CASEY NOCKET. Graffiti artist banned from national parks: “A graffiti artist has been banned from all national parks and other federally administered land – that’s more than 20% of the US – for vandalism after Redditusers tracked her down on social media. Casey Nocket was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service and a fine for drawing faces in acrylic paint in at least six national parks: Death Valley, Colorado National Monument, Canyonlands, Zion and Crater Lake.”

EVICTIONS. Pewdiepie evicted for loud gay sex: “With over 12 and a half BILLION views and 46 million subscribers, it’s safe to say that PewDiePie is an Internet phenomenon, and if you’ve ever watched is videos (which is pretty much everyone on the planet, TWICE) you’ll know that they can get pretty loud… So it’s not surprising that, even with an extremely sound-proofed recording room, his landlord delivered him a noise complaint. What IS worrying though, is that it was delivered with a stream of homophobic abuse…”

To be clear: I made a video, landlord thought I was having gay sex. Comes down to call us faggots. Next day evicted w/o previous notice.

— Felix Kjellberg (@pewdiepie) June 17, 2016

Was planning to fight against the situation, but honestly happy to just move far away from that guy. Got more important shit to deal with.

— Felix Kjellberg (@pewdiepie) June 17, 2016

MINNESOTA. Gay rodeo back in the saddle: “In 2015, the new recruits helped end the rodeo hiatus with a two-day event at Hugo’s Dead Broke Arena (an ironic choice given North Star’s past money problems). The turnout was modest but it was good enough to break even. North Star considers it a victory given the circumstances. Membership has risen and is now back up to 80 active members. And they’re bringing back the rodeo again this year. From July 29-31, bull riders, chute doggers, and barrel racers from around the country will again storm the dusty Hugo arena. In year two of North Star’s comeback, Griffin expects 1,000 to 1,500 people per day, with buses hauling in out-of-towners and city slickers from Minneapolis (advance tickets are $10).”

NYC. Man plans Golden Girls-themed cafe in honor of Rue McClanahan. “Michael J. LaRue plans to open Rue La Rue Café on 4396 Broadway, at the Sofia Storage Building, in early September in honor of the late Rue McClanahan — his close friend and actress who played Blanche Devereaux in the beloved series. ”

ZIKA. Rory McIlroy to skip Rio over Zika fears: “After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health, and my family’s health, comes before anything else,” McIlroy said in a statement. “Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”

WHITE PRIVILEGE. Debated by three white conservatives.

HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Kevin Carnell

The post Marco Rubio, Pewdiepie, Gay Rodeo, Rory McIlroy, Golden Girls, Casey Nocket: NEWS appeared first on Towleroad.

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