Little Father Blames Plummeting Ruble on "The West"

Via Reuters (and J.M.G.):

President Vladimir Putin assured Russians on Thursday that the economy would rebound after the ruble's dramatic slide this year but offered no remedy for a deepening financial crisis. In an assured performance at a three-hour news conference, Putin blamed the economic problems on external factors and said the crisis over Ukraine was caused by the West, which he accused of building a "virtual" Berlin Wall to contain Russia. Putin even cracked jokes at times, despite pressure to fix an economy that is heading into recession and caught by what his economy minister called a "perfect storm" of low oil prices, Western sanctions over Ukraine and global economic problems. The ruble has fallen about 45 percent against the dollar this year, and suffered particularly steep falls on Monday and Tuesday, but Putin said its eventual rise was unavoidable and avoided using the word "crisis".

Nota bene: The picture I use in this post is not from today's press conference but from another occasion.

#ProudofEdgars

I proudly announce I'am gay... Good luck all of you...
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) November 6, 2014

(via J.M.G.)

"Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs announced Thursday that he was gay, breaking a barrier in Eastern Europe’s socially conservative political arena. The declaration, made via a cheerful Twitter posting, immediately gave gay rights advocates a prominent voice in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. The region — where openly gay public figures are a rarity — has significantly lagged behind the United States and Western Europe in its acceptance of same-sex relationships. The announcement came less than two months before Latvia assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1, giving Rinkevics an even higher-profile platform from which to push for more tolerance for same-sex relationships."

Damn!

The Democrats were slaughtered in yesterdays midterm elections in the U.S.A. The Republicans won a majority in both the house and the senate.

The above picture comes from the first page of Huffington Post, via J.M.G.

Damn, damn, damn! And did I say damn?

Out Smart

(via JoeMyGod)

In "Out Smart," a teenage boy faces his parents' shock and outrage when he "comes out". He's not gay, though -- he's smart!

For more information about this short film visit Out Smart - The Movie.

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Cute and funny satire!

"Handsome Man" - Matt Alber

(via JoeMyGod)

The Science of Depression

(via J.M.G.)

Mary Lambert - Secrets

(via J.M.G.)

Kiss-In Against Putin in Argentina

Putin is visiting Argentina this week. LGBT rights orgs are staging a kiss-in tomorrow outside the Russian embassy… pic.twitter.com/jtWmjfS7AW
— Andrés Duque (@Blabbeando) July 10, 2014

(via J.M.G.)

"Little Father" is visiting Argentina and will be met by men kissing men and women kissing women outside the Russian embassy.

"Oh my!", as George Takei would say.

Create Your Own Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Joe.My.God. today tips his readers about Slate's offer to create our own ruling, based on sentences, phrases, and concepts taken from rulings by Justice Anthony Kennedy of the Supreme Court, Judge John E. Jones III of Pennsylvania, Judge Michael McShane of Oregon, Judge Candy Dale of Idaho, Judge Orlando Garcia of Texas, Judge Timothy Black of Ohio, and Judge Richard Young of Indiana.

I thought I should share this amazingly cool tool with my own readership. This is where you go to do it: Slate/Outward; "Create your own (same-sex) marriage ruling"

My generated (same-sex) marriage opinion is:

"The plaintiffs are entitled to extraordinary remedies because of their extraordinary injuries. The state’s marriage laws withhold from them a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted.

The ban on same-sex marriage demeans gay couples, whose moral and sexual choices the Constitution protects. And it humiliates the children raised by same-sex couples. Under this law, same-sex couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways. By its great reach, the law touches many aspects of married and family life, from the mundane to the profound.

Even today I am reminded of the legacy that we have bequeathed today’s generation when my son looks dismissively at the sweater I bought him for Christmas, and, with a roll of his eyes, says “Dad … that is so gay.” The state’s marriage laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status."

Toronto On Pride Day

Matt Thomasto on Instagram, via J.M.G.

#GAYSAREHERE

(via J.M.G.)

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Haka

(via J.M.G.)

Clip description
"Professional rugby sevens players essentially beat each other up throughout the course of a match, with literally no padding. These guys are tough and, at the professional level, seriously athletic. Impressive, right?

As it turns out, the play itself can be merely the runner-up when it comes to impressive components of a match. New Zealand’s All Blacks defeated England 26-7 Sunday night in the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens Tournament. After the game is when things went from good to great.

The Haka dance is typically performed before a match to intimidate the opponent, but in this case the All Blacks performed in celebration.

Oh yeah, it was raining cats and dogs, and the team went shirtless."

The Newest Olympic Sport

(via J.M.G.)

#liveandletlove

(via J.M.G.)

About the clip

2,000 people of the city of Stockholm gathered at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium to show their support to the LGBT people of Russia and to sing the most beautiful national anthem in the world.

You can do the same, make your own rainbow version of the song and upload under the hashtag #liveandletlove. You'll find sheet music and lyrics on www.liveandletlove.se.
...

Watch, like on YouTube and share! Show Little Father Putin, the Olympic Committee that we will not forget their homophobia and the Russian LGBT community that we support them in their struggles against the horrendous and discriminating "Gay Propaganda" laws. Gay Rights are Human Rights!

Redefining "Sochi"

(via J.M.G.)

Sochi (sô′chĭ)
1. noun. "A delightful anus",
2. verb "To do butt sex"

Potpourri of Pearls sing "Sochi", video produced by Calpin Hoffman-Williamson, Vocals by Emily Bate, Joel Chartkoff, Wesley Flash, Meg Skaff, Peter Turner, Robin Wachsberger

You Go, Gurl!

(via J.M.G.)

When confronted with homophobia Pamela Raintree challenges the bigot by quoting the Bible and supplying him with "the first stone". 

Shabbat Dinner

Shabbat Dinner is an award-winning short film by director Michael Morgenstern, about what it's like to be a teen coming out and struggling to figure out who you are. Starring: Chris London, Dan Shaked, Eva Kaminsky, Michael Wikes, Dawn Yanek, Peter Tedeschi.

William doesn't know he's gay until he meets Virgo at a family dinner. The two teens attempt to discover who they really are, while their oblivious parents chatter about fundraisers and dairy-free ice cream.

(via J.M.G.)

Shabbat Dinner - the film's website (url)

If You Are In A Shell...

(via J.M.G.)

How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk

I blame it on my brother Dej!

Try the New York Times quiz yourself! (Tipped by Joe Jervis@J.M.G.)

India: Government Asks For Court Review

Through Joe Jervis at J.M.G. I see that the BBC News website (url to full article)  today has this encouraging news.

"The Indian government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to review its decision to reinstate a 153-year-old law that criminalises homosexuality.

The government asked the court to review its order saying it believed it "violated the principle of equality".  There has been outrage over the ruling seen as a huge blow to gay rights. There have been street protests and many activists and even government ministers have criticised it. The Supreme Court order on 11 December overturned a landmark 2009 Delhi High Court ruling which had decriminalised gay sex.

In its ruling, the Delhi High Court had described Section 377 - the colonial-era law which says a same-sex relationship is an "unnatural offence" and punishable by a 10-year jail term - as discriminatory and said gay sex between consenting adults should not be treated as a crime.
But the Supreme Court said it was up to parliament to change the law and the courts did not have the mandate to rule on it.

"The government has filed the review petition on Section 377 in the Supreme Court today. Let's hope the right to personal choices is preserved," Law Minister Kapil Sibal tweeted on Friday.

In its petition filed in the Supreme Court, the government says "the position of the central government on this issue has been that the Delhi High Court verdict... is correct".

The Supreme Court's earlier order was widely criticised in India. The president of the ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi described it as "an archaic, unjust law" and Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the ruling had taken India "back to 1860".

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Let's maintain our support for our Indian brothers and sisters up and keep hoping that something good comes out of this.