“That’s why he stood up for the rightsof LGBT individuals.”
—Secretary of State John Kerry, in a statement regarding Ambassador Mike McFaul, who has resigned as U.S. Ambassador to Russia. McFaul has been an outspoken advocate for promoting American ideals and values in Russia, and as ambassador made clear that he was not there to improve US-Russian relations but to advance American interests — including LGBT rights in the wake of Russia’s “gay propaganda” law.
The Minneapolis City Council is expected to consider directing staff to study a package of four proposed ordinances that would reverse the city’s decades-old ban on businesses facilitating "high-risk sexual conduct" -- enacted during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s -- and establish a regulatory framework for such venues.
One ordinance would add a new chapter to city code allowing adult sex venues and establishing licensing and business regulations for establishments where consenting adults can engage in sexual activity.
Another ordinance would amend the city’s zoning code to update definitions and standards for sexually oriented uses, eliminating "stigmatizing" language and reflecting advances in HIV prevention -- the original impetus for the 1988 bathhouse ban. A third ordinance would amend the city’s health and sanitation code, specifically provisions related to contagious diseases and so-called "high-risk sexual conduct."
A man who was kicked out of the Boy Scouts of America as a teenager for being gay -- and became the first to sue the organization over its ban on gay youth and adult leaders -- has returned 45 years later as an assistant scoutmaster.
Tim Curran, a 64-year-old assistant scoutmaster with Manhattan’s Troop 662, told People magazine he always wanted to return to scouting after his expulsion. But his four-decade career as a journalist and documentary filmmaker kept him from committing to a leadership role -- even after BSA, now rebranded as "Scouting America," lifted its ban on openly gay adult leaders in 2015.
Racing driver Daniel Dye has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR after making homophobic remarks about a rival driver.
According to ESPN, Dye was penalized for mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas during a recent livestream. In a video that circulated on social media, Dye used exaggerated voices -- including an imitation of Malukas -- in a way that suggested Malukas might be gay.
Malukas, 24, drives for Team Penske and frequently posts photos with his girlfriend on social media. There is no indication that he is gay.
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