EYE CANDY: Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz is a 26-year-old football player of African-American and Puerto Rican descent (Blatino!) who plays for the New York Giants. He first came to my attention thanks to the discerning eye of Rod 2.0. This summer he recently signed a huge contract worth over $45 million for the next five years.

As you can see from the pictures above his 6-foot, 204-pound looks good in uniform. However, you can also see how Victor looks phyne in just about anything, by looking at these pictures below.

Victor is today's Eye Candy, demonstrating that not all sweet packages that catch one's eye need to be unwrapped!

Latina Lesbian Confirmed To Federal Judgeship in PA!

By a voice vote, the United States Senate has unanimously confirmed the first (out!) lesbian of Hispanic heritage to a federal judgeship. Nitza Quiñones Alejandro will become a federal district court judge for the Eastern District of Pensuylvania when she is sworn in.

She is the sixth openly LGBT judge to be confirmed by the United States Senate during the administration of President Barack Obama. The previous five Obama-nominated federal judges confirmed by the Senate are:

J. Paul OetkenAli NathanMichael FitzgeraldPamela Ki Mai ChenMichael McShane

Prior to the Obama administration there was one openly LGBT federal judge confirmed by the Senate, Deborah Batts, nominated by President Clinton in the 1990s. Federal judges generally serve for life. All of the seven openly LGBT federal judges have served as district court judges, the lowest level in the federal judicial system.

There are still a number of pending nominations of openly LGBT individuals for federal judgeships. To date, no openly LGBT person has been confirmed for a federal appellate court. That is one level below the United States Supreme Court but Obama has nominated Todd Hughes and Edward Dumont to appellate position. Dumont withdrew his nomination after it was stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee in the previous Congress.

Lets hope the lavender ceiling will be broken soon and we'll have an openly LGBT appellate court judge confirmed by the U.S. Senate soon.

Puerto Rico Approves Strong LGBT Rights Bill!

Great news from Puerto Rico. The legislature gave final approval to two bills which will improve the public policy position of LGBT residents on the island. One bill with strengthen anti-discrimination protection in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and the other will include same-sex couples into Puerto Rico's domestic violence statutes.

The Washington Blade reports:

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives on Friday approved two bills that would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in the U.S. territory and add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the island’s domestic violence laws.

The voice votes on the two measures that each passed by a 29-22 vote margin took place at the end of a nearly three hour debate. Lawmakers had been scheduled to consider the bills on Thursday, but they adjourned after a marathon session that ended well after midnight.

The Puerto Rico Senate on May 16 approved the non-discrimination measure by a 15-11 vote margin.

“I can serve God without having to discriminate against anyone,” Rep. Lydia Méndez Silva of Sabana Grande said before she announced her support of the anti-discrimination bill.

Good news indeed! Congratulations to everyone involved, especially PJ Serrano!

Hat/tip to Blabbeando.

Celebrity Friday: Boxer Orlando Cruz Comes Out!

Orlando Cruz, the #4 ranked professional boxer in the world in his featherweight division, has come out as openly gay. Cruz, 31, has been boxing for an astonishing 24 years and first came to fame when he represented his homeland of Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia.

He is today's Celebrity Friday because of this statement he made this week to USA Today, will surely make him one of the most famous people in sports:

"I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man."

¡Felicidades, Orlando!

Rod 2.0 has more background information on Orlando and the context of his coming out in the sport of boxing.

Eye Candy: Daniel Delgado

Daniel Delgado is a 23-year-old Puerto Rican model based in New York City. Muy guapo, no?

Boricua In Space!

Los Angeles-born Joseph Acaba is now the first Puerto Rican in space!

Liftoff occurred at 4:44 p.m. Pacific time, about 3 minutes after sunset in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The shuttle is to rendezvous with the Space Station on Tuesday.

Joseph Acaba -- a geologist and former Peace Corps member, Marine Corps reservist and math and science teacher -- is to serve as a mission specialist and take two space walks during the 14-day mission.

He is on the team assigned to install the final truss elements and solar arrays that provide power to the space station.

The shuttle mission, originally set for Feb. 12, was previously delayed several times to check hydrogen fuel valves, one of which broke during a flight in November.

On the first of his two spacewalks, Acaba is to join crewmate Steve Swanson on a tour of the truss.

Acaba's second space walk will involve preparing the International Space Station for future flights.

Mad Professah is happy to see another Math and Science teacher in space. Here's to wishing Mr. Acaba a safe return to planet Earth.