EYE CANDY: Kwesi Keller

Kwesi Keller is a bodybuilder, fitness model and nutrition specialist. According to an interview at CutandJacked.com, Kwesi was born in 1985 so he is under 30-years old and while he is 5-foot-11" his weight ranges from 220-250 pounds (depending on whether he is competing in bodybuilding competitions). Kwesi has his own company, Prestige Nutrition and Fitness.

He is active on social media, with presences on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I'm hoping that we can start seeing more of Kwesi's work with professional photographers. As you can see, he has what it takes!

Hat/tip to Another Guy Blog

Madprofessah is in Dallas

At the Dallas Arboretum, to be precise.

Taking Subway To Westside Getting More Likely In Los Angeles

Check out this picture of the proposed extensions to the purple and exposition lines which will mean that in the near future one can take the Metro to places that people will actually want to go.

Officials from Metro and the Federal Transit Administration signed a pair of agreements this morning in Washington D.C. for a $1.25-billion federal grant and a $856-million federally-backed loan to build the first phase of the Purple Line Extension subway under Wilshire Boulevard. We’ll post video of this morning’s event later. 

The agreements clear the way for construction activities to begin later this year on the 3.9-mile addition to the Purple Line, which currently terminates at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. The first phase of the project will extend the line to the intersection of Wilshire and La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Three new stations will be included in the first phase: at Wilshire and La Brea Avenue, Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire and La Cienega. 

The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in 2023 with a project budget of $2.821 billion. The Metro Board of Directors is scheduled this summer to select a contractor to build the first phase. The subway is one of 12 transit projects funded in part by the Measure R half-cent sales tax increase approved by more than two million voters in Los Angeles County in 2008 (the measure passed with 67.93 percent approval).

This is very exciting news! Kudos to Mayor Eric Garcetti with moving forward with this. The next 3rd District County Supervisor will also be involved in making sure this project happens.

Hat/tip to L.A. Observed

SATURDAY POLITICS: Will L.A. Have An Openly Gay County Supervisor?

Hmmm! The plot thickens in the low-profile but incredibly important Democratic primary election for Los Angeles County Supervisor on June 3rd. The L.A. County Supervisor is one of the most powerful elected positions in the country, with each of the 5 Supervisors representing roughly 2 million Angelenos, more than several U.S. Senators. There are two Districts up for election this year, District 1 where Gloria Molina is being termed out and is likely to be replaced by former Congresswoman (and Obama Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis) and District 3 where 8 candidates are vying for the top two slots, with two openly gay candidates are serious contenders. MadProfessah has already endorsed Sheila Kuehl. Kuehl announced her intentions to run for this seat years ago and has had a historic political career as the first openly LGBT member of the Assembly and the Senate. Kuehl has also won the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Club and the East Area Progressive Democrats.

Last Sunday the Los Angeles Times picked John Duran over Kuehl in its endorsement for the 3rd District, possibly upending the race.

Kuehl, to be sure, has a strong record in those areas as well, and her knowledge of and experience in state government would be of great benefit to the county, which gets much of its funding and many of its programming guidelines from Sacramento. Of the two, though, Duran gets the nod because he is also the one most likely to lead the county toward new and better ways of thinking about and doing its business.

The primary election is less than two weeks away. Voting has been going on  by mail for at least two weeks already. Thanks to a stupid ballot initiative that passed in June 2012, California now has a "Top 2 jungle primary" which means that regardless of party, only the Top 2 candidates will be on the November ballot after surviving the primary. I have my absentee ballot and will be giving my endorsements next weekend.

It would be incredibly exciting if the top two candidates are openly gay, but most likely Bobby Shriver and either Kuehl or Duran will make the cutoff. If both LGBT candidates do make the run-off there will be an internal lesbians versus gays fight like we have not seen since the 2012 battle between Torie Osborne (Kuehl's former lover and longtime ally) and Betsy Butler (Duran's straight best friend who has served on the board of Equality California). In fact some say that Duran's entry into the Supervisor race is basically payback for some of the chicanery that occurred in the bitter fight in 2012 for the 50th Assembly District (where both their candidates lost and Richard Bloom ended up winning the seat).

Hopefully this time an LGBT candidate will emerge victorious, instead of bloodied and defeated.

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Zakhele Mbhele, South Africa's 1st Openly Gay Elected MP Sworn In

Zakhele Mbhele made history yesterday on May 22, Harvey Milk Day, when he was sworn in as the first elected openly gay, Member of Parliament in South Africa. Mbhele, 29, is believed to be the first openly gay elected Member of Parliament anywhere in Africa!

The Washington Post reports:

Today, Zakhele Mbhele, a member of the opposition Democratic Alliance, was sworn in to the South African National Assembly. He is the 203rd openly gay member of parliament worldwide  since Coos Huijsen became the first, in the Netherlands, in 1976. The symbolism is made more vivid by the fact that Mbhele is the first openly gay black African to be elected on a continent where laws designed to invalidate gay people have destroyed countless lives.  

There is an unsettling polarity in the state of gay rights around the world today. The march toward gay rights in much of the developed world has sped up to a dizzying pace. More and more countries have introduced same-sex marriage and other equality laws. Today, well over 700 million people live in places where gay marriage is legal; over 120 million of those are in the United States.

You can congratulate Mbhele yourself via his Twitter account yourself. Hopefully, he will only be the first of many out LGBT politicians on the African continent.

Hat/tip to GLAAD Link

WATCH: Trailer for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar Revealed

I thought I had posted the trailer for Interstellar, the new Christopher Nolan movie already but I guess I forgot. It went live last exactly a week ago and has more than 7 million views so far. Check it out!

POLL: National Suport for Marriage Equality Now At 55%

The most recent Gallup poll indicates that support for marriage equality among the American people is at an all-time high of 55% nationwide. That is up 1 percentage point from last year's previous high water mark of 54%.

While recognizing the recent victories in Oregon and Pennsylvania, Gallup notes that there is still a majority against marriage equality among those who live in the Southern U.S.:

An important region on the radar of gay marriage advocates is the South, where a condensed cluster of bans on same-sex marriage exists. All southern states have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, from Louisiana in 2004 through North Carolina in 2012, though bans have been challenged in Arkansas and Kentucky. The South (48%) is the only region where same-sex marriage support falls below the 50% mark. Support is highest in the East, where two-thirds (67%) of residents support gay marriage. 

For proponents of marriage equality, years of playing offense have finally paid off as this movement has reached a tipping point in recent years -- both legally and in the court of public opinion. The latest gains are in Pennsylvania and Oregon, with court challenges in Utah, Oklahoma, and Virginia likely to be determined soon. Having spent years trying to influence state lawmakers to take action, gay marriage supporters' game strategy has officially pivoted to challenging state bans in court. One key question in the legal battle is the constitutionality of voter-approved state bans. 

Younger Americans are more supportive of same-sex marriage, and this will likely continue to drive overall support at the gradual pace it has increased over recent years. While the map of gay marriage is regionally diverse, it is not so in the South, where traditional marriage advocates still hold a majority of support. Public opinion in southern states will be a barometer to observe, as the bulk of future legal battles will play out there in the months and years to come.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God 

BOOK REVIEW: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

This book was recommended by one of my friends whom I would classify as a hopeless romantic. It is a YA book, i.e. written for "young adults" or teens. It is also a heartwarming story about a beautiful friendship between two teenage boys, one gay and one straight. The book has won numerous awards and is a quick, enjoyable read, even if you don't usually read "that kind of stuff."

Here's the blurb from the book cover:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone who would be interested in reading a well-written, realistic story about the lives of two Latino teenaged boys. I don't want to say anything more about the story or the characters' fates because one main pleasure of this book is the sense of wonder as the story unfolds.

Read this book!

Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Paperback: 359 pages.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Published: February 21, 2012.
Read: September 2013.

OVERALL GRADE: A- (3.67/4.0).
PLOT: A-.
IMAGERY: A-.
IMPACT: A+.
WRITING: A-.

PA Ruling Not Appealed; 44% Of Americans Live In Marriage Equality States

Wow! Republican Governor Tom Corbett announced today that he would not be appealing yesterday's decision striking down Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage, thus confirming the Keystone state's status as the 19th marriage equality state in the Union; Now 44% of Americans live in state with marriage equality. Another 17% live in jurisdiction where the marriage law has been invalidated but the decision is on hold pending a higher court resolution.

Happy Birthday to me, indeed!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday so I am posting another picture of my latest crush, Raciel Castro!

GODLESS WEDNESDAY: Americans Exaggerate Their Church Attendance

The New York Times reported on a recent study which demonstrates a gap between how religious Americans say they are when surveyed by a person as opposed to how often they say they attend church when answering the same questions online.

A summary of the findings of the report are:

• On the telephone survey, 36 percent of Americans report attending religious services weekly or more, compared to 31 percent on the online survey.

• Compared to 30 percent of telephone respondents, 43 percent of online survey respondents say they attend religious services seldom or never.

• When interviewed by telephone, fewer than 3-in-10 (29 percent) white mainline Protestants report that they seldom or never attend religious services, compared to 45 percent of white mainline Protestants who took the self-administered online survey.

• Catholics are less than half as likely to report seldom or never attending religious services when responding on the telephone versus online (15 percent vs. 33 percent).

• Nine percent of white evangelical Protestants report they seldom or never attend religious services when speaking with an interviewer by phone, compared to 17 percent who report the same in a self-administered online survey.

• Only 14 percent of black Protestants report seldom or never attending on a telephone survey, compared to nearly one-quarter (24 percent) on the online survey.

• Surprisingly, the social desirability effects are strong among the religiously unaffiliated. While 73 percent say they seldom or never attend religious services in a telephone survey, that number jumps nearly 20 percentage points to 91 percent on an online survey.

• The study also found significant differences between younger and older Americans, as well as among different regions of the country, in the degree to which they inflate religious participation.

Interesting, eh?

19 And Counting! Federal Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Ban On Marriage Equality

For the second time in two days, a federal judge has brought marriage equality to a blue state. Yesterday, openly gay federal judge (nominated by President Barack Obama in 2013) Michael McShane ruled that Oregon's marriage laws were unconstitutionally prohibiting same-sex marriage. Today federal judge John E. Jones II (nominated by George W. Bush in 2002) struck down Pennsylvania's state ban on marriage equality. The attorney general of Pennsylvania refused to defend her state's statutory ban on same-sex marriage. Pennsylvania does not have an LGBT non-discrimination law or a constitutional ban on recognizing or invalidating same-sex marriages.

In the case of Whitewood v. Wolf the judge concluded that

Based on the foregoing, we hold that Pennsylvania’s Marriage Laws violate both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Because these laws are unconstitutional, weshall enter an order permanently enjoining their enforcement. By virtue of this ruling, same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in theCommonwealth.  

The issue we resolve today is a divisive one. Some of our citizens are madedeeply uncomfortable by the notion of same-sex marriage. However, that same-sex marriage causes discomfort in some does not make its prohibitionconstitutional. Nor can past tradition trump the bedrock constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection. Were that not so, ours would  still be a racially segregated nation according to the now rightfully disregarded notion of "separate but equal." [citations omitted] In the sixty years since Brown was decided "separate" has faded into history, and only "equal" remains. Similarly, in future generations the term same-sex marriage will be abandoned, to be replaced simply by marriage. 

We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them to the ash heap of history.

Since no stay was issued and it is unlikely (but possible) that the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals will issue a stay in the near future, Pennsylvania becomes the 19th marriage equality state!

Tennis Tuesday: Francis Tiafoe Wins 2014 Easter Bowl, Seeded #1 In Roland Garros Boys

Francis Tiafoe, followed up his December 2013 win of the Orange Bowl Under-18s (the most prestigious junior championship in the world) at age 15 with a win of the under-18 Easter Bowl (the equivalent of the U.S. junior championships) last month as the #1 seed.

The media is starting to pay more attention, as this lengthy Washington Post article reveals:

In a sporting narrative as improbable as that of Venus and Serena Williams, Tiafoe, the son of immigrants from the West African nation of Sierra Leone, has emerged as the nation’s most buzzed about tennis prodigy. 

In December, the Prince George’s County-born teen became the youngest player to win the Orange Bowl, the most prestigious international title for 18-and-under boys, achieving the feat at 15 — more quickly than even Federer, John McEnroe or Bjorn Borg managed. And when the French Open juniors tournament gets under way in Paris on June 1, Tiafoe (pronounced Tee-AH-foe) will be the top-seeded boy. 

In a country yearning for a home grown men’s tennis star, this puts Tiafoe under immense pressure to deliver on his promise, to justify the countless hours he has devoted to mastering the game and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that tennis center benefactors have invested in his young career. 

Or, as he puts it: “It’s not like everything was given to me. I had to really work hard for it and earn it.” But, he adds, “I’m very thankful for what I have. I don’t want to let anyone down.” 

In many ways, this broad-shouldered, 6-foot-1-inch phenom with eight-pack abs is still a boy. Tiafoe doesn’t yet drive, has a 9 p.m. bedtime and shaved for the first time in January. But he possesses a missile of a forehand, a full complement of shots and tactical savvy beyond his years.

6-foot-1 at age 16? Things are looking good for American tennis, maybe Francis will pick up the baton handed to him by Venus and Serena!

Oregon Becomes 18th Marriage Equality State!

As widely expected, openly gay federal judge Michael McShane today issued the 13th federal ruling since last year's Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Windsor deciding in favor of marriage equality. The judge's 26 page decision in Geiger v. Kitzhaber was issued promptly at noon after an emergency stay in the proceedings filed by the National Organization for Marriage was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit.

The Washington Blade reports:

Neither the timing nor the outcome of the case was a surprise. On Friday, McShane had announced he would make his decision in the litigation on Monday at noon Pacific Time (3 pm local time). In fact, Oregon United for Marriage had planned media coverage for the ruling and same-sex couples marrying afterward over the weekend without knowing the decision.  

McShane also rules against the state ban on same-sex marriage after not a single party would defend the law in court. It’s the first time ever that no party defended a ban on same-sex marriage during the course of a lawsuit seeking marriage equality.  

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced in February the law was indefensible, as did attorneys for Multnomah County, who were also named as a defendant in the lawsuit and had pledged to hand out licenses to same-sex couples as soon as law was struck down. 

[...] 

Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage, Measure 38, is a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2004 by a 57-43 margin. But public opinion on marriage equality in Oregon is just about reversed since that time. Last year, Public Policy Polling found that 54 percent of Oregon residents would vote to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot. 

Marriages should begin shortly in Oregon, although typically a 3-day waiting period is required after getting a marriage license, it can be waived in extenuating circumstances.

The judge's ruling means that an expensive ballot measure campaign to overturn measure 36 will not be unnecessary.

Congratulations to Oregon to joining the rest of the West Coast in Marriage Equality!

Obama Nominates Openly Gay Man To Be Ambassador To Vietnam

Clayton Bond and Ted Osius are an (interracial) gay power couple in U.S. diplomatic circles. Bond is the author of Djakarta Djournal: Adventures of a Diplomatic Spouse in Indonesia. The two were marred in Canada in 2006. President Obama nominated Osius this week to be the next Ambassador to Vietnam:

Ted Osius, Nominee for Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Department of StateTed Osius, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is an Associate Professor at the National War College, a position he has held since 2013.  He was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2012 to 2013.  Prior to that, Mr. Osius served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 2009 to 2012.  Before that, he was Political Minister-Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 2006 to 2009.  Mr. Osius also served as Deputy Director of the Office of Korean Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State from 2004 to 2006.  Prior to that, he was Regional Environment Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand from 2001 to 2004.  From 1998 to 2001, he was Senior Advisor on International Affairs in the Office of the Vice President at the White House.  He served as Political Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam from 1997 to 2001.  Other positions he has held include: Staff Aide and Political Officer at the United States Mission to the United Nations, Political and Management Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Vatican City, The Holy See, and Political and Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines.  From 1985 to 1987, he was a Legislative Correspondent in the Office of U.S. Senator Al Gore, Jr.  Mr. Osius received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.S. from the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University.

If confirmed by the Senate, Osius would join other openly gay men nominated by President Obama who are now ambassadors to Australia, Spain, Denmark and Dominican Republic.

Hat/tip to EDGE

EYE CANDY: Raciel Castro

Top two pictures by Luis Rafael, third by Rick Day

I think I have found my new crush object at Gorgeous Sexy Guys and his name is Raciel Castro! According to multiple sources (Facebook and Bellazon) he is 5'9" and 200 pounds and in 2012 he wss 20 years old. Apparently he is from Boise, Idaho and of Cuban descent. He has a Twitter account and Instagram.

Muy guapo, no?

2014 NEBULA AWARDS: Ancillary Justice Wins Best Novel!

The 2013 Nebula awards were announced by the Science Fiction Writers of America yesterday and the winner for Best Novel is Ann Leckie's debut novel, Ancillary Justice, which was also nominated for a Hugo award and has already won the Arthur C. Clarke award for Best Novel and is nominated for the Locus award for best first novel. Ancillary Justice also co-won the British SF award this year as well.

Congratulations to Ms. Leckie, I am growing ever more curious about this book, although I have so far seen one negative review of the book, Hey, no one can please everyone! There are many, many more positive and glowing reviews of it, however.

I haven't read  Ancillary Justice, yet, but with my birthday coming up this week either someone will get it for me (I hope!) or I'll get it for myself!

2014 ROME: Djokovic-Nadal XLI Goes to Nole For 4th Win In A Row Over Rafa

Novak Djokovic continued his recent dominance over Rafael Nadal, improving his record in finals to 12-9 and narrowing their head-to-head to 19-22, by defeating the King of Clay in the 2014 Rome Open 4-6 6-3 6-3 in a little over 2 hours. The win was Djokovic's 4th in a row (2014 Miami Masters final, 2013 ATP World Tour championships final and 2013 Beijing Open final) over the World #1. The two rivals now have the record for the most matches played against each other on the men's tour. It was Djokovic's 44th tour title and 19th ATP Masters Series shield, 2 behind Roger Federer and Nadal's record 26. In fact, Djokovic has won 5 of the last 6 ATP Masters tournaments.

More importantly it was the 4th time Djokovic has beaten Nadal on clay (in 17 meetings on the surface) and could be a harbinger of what could happen in the Roland Garros final 3 weeks from today. I hope so!!!

2014 ROME: Serena Wins 60th WTA Title Over Errani

As I predicted, Serena Williams was able to win her 3rd title in Rome, her 60th career title overall by overwhelming Sara Errani of Italy 6-3 6-0. Serena was able to accomplish a rare feat for her, defending a clay court title, since she won this title last year over Vika Azarenka. Many people are remarking that the two times Serena has won the Rome title (2002 and 2013) are also the two times that she won the title in Paris. Will 2014 be the third time this happens?

2014 ROME: Finals are Djokovic-Nadal XVI and Serena-Errani

As I predicted yesterday, the men's final will feature the mouthwatering showdown between World #1 Rafael Nadal versus World #2 Novak Djokovic in their record 41st meeting on the ATP world tour. Nadal is in his record 9th Rome final and is shooting for his 8th Rome title while Djokovic is in his 5th Rome final and is hoping to win his 3rd Rome title. Nadal currently leads the head-to-head 22-18,  but Djokovic won their last meeting in the final of the 2014 Key Biscayne ATP Master series in straight sets and 2 other meetings since losing to Nadal in the 2013 US Open final. Overall, Djokovic leads 12-9 in finals, but Nadal leads 13-3 in clay court meetings. Djokovic got through a tough 3-hour match against Milos Raonic while Nadal destroyed Grigor Dimitrov playing in his first Master Series semifinal.

In the women's final, defending champion Serena Williams will face hometown favorite Sara Errani. Serena had a tough time getting past a spirited Ana Ivanovic  6-1 3-6 6-1. Errani did very well to win her second consecutive match against a Top 10 player, following  her tough 3-set dismissal of Li Na with a straight sets win over Jelena Jankovic to become the first Italian woman to reach the final of her hometown championships in over a generation.

MadProfessah's predictions: Djokovic and Serena.

Today Is #IDAHOT: International Day Against Homophobia and Transpohobia

Today, May 17th is the 60th anniversary of the release of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education  ending legal involuntary racial segregation in public schools. It is also the 10th anniversary of the very first same-sex marriage in the United States, when Massachusetts Goodridge decision went into effect. It is also the anniversary of the day that the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as an illness. To commemorate this fact, May 17 has been declared as the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, celebrated around the world.

President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry both issued statements acknowledging IDAHOT.

SATURDAY POLITICS: Toni Atkins Sworn In As 1st Lesbian Speaker Of CA Assembly

History was made this week as openly gay Speaker of the Assembly John Perez presided over the swearing in of another openly gay Speaker of the Assembly, the first time the head of a state legislature has transitioned between two openly LGBT people. The new Speaker of the Assembly is Toni Atkins from San Diego.

Here is an excerpt of what Speaker Atkins said after she was sworn in:

We want to restore the Golden State that provided our kids the best education and good jobs. We want to ensure that the California Dream is alive and well for everyone in our state, and for everyone who, like me, comes here to achieve their dream. We want the Golden State to be the Gold Standard that others strive towards. 

For the last decade, and especially in light of the Great Recession, we’ve had to work our way back. And, California has finally turned the corner. 

We are still the 8th largest economy in the world. And members, regardless of how it may be misrepresented, we aren’t really in competition with Texas. We are in competition with Brazil and Italy and France. We are a $2 trillion dollar economy. We are the number one state for venture capital. We have 3.4 million small businesses that provide more than half the jobs in California. And last year we enacted 18 new business-friendly laws that will help business owners by removing regulatory burdens, restoring some investment tax breaks and by creating the “Made in California” program.

Hat/tip to Karen Ocamb 

May 17, 2014: Today Is The 60th Anniversary of Brown v Board of Education!

Today is May 17th, the 60th anniversary of the issuance of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education which ruled that "separate but equal" is inherently unequal and unconstitutional, thus ending legal segregation in public schools in the United states.

It was in important moment in civil rights history but note that changes occurred with "all deliberate speed" until right-minded people started organizing protests in earnest and actual public policy change occurred in the 1960s, such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Bizarrely, 60 years after Brown many schools in the South are LESS racially diverse now than they were then as this stunning report from The Atlantic makes clear.

CDC Endorses Truvada For HIV Prevention Purposes

There was important news in the fight against HIV/AIDS this week. The federal government announced they were issuing guidelines that recommend that sexually active HIV-negative gay men take doses of Truvada for "pre-exposure prophylaxis" (PrEP) purposes.

The guidelines say PrEP should be considered for HIV-uninfected patients with any of the following indications:

• Anyone who is in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-infected partner.

• A gay or bisexual man who has had sex without a condom or has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection within the past six months, and is not in a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative.

• A heterosexual man or woman who does not always use condoms when having sex with partners known to be at risk for HIV (for example, injecting drug users or bisexual male partners of unknown HIV status), and is not in a mutually-monogamous relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative.

• Anyone who has, within the past six months, injected illicit drugs and shared equipment or been in a treatment program for injection drug use.

“While a vaccine or cure may one day end the HIV epidemic, PrEP is a powerful tool that has the potential to alter the course of the U.S. HIV epidemic today,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “These guidelines represent an important step toward fully realizing the promise of PrEP. We should add to this momentum, working to ensure that PrEP is used by the right people, in the right way, in the right circumstances.”

This is a very important step. California's largest AIDS service providers had endorsed this position a few weeks ago, so it is good that this policy position will adopted nationwide.

2014 ROME: Semifinals Set: Rafa-Dimitrov, Nole-Raonic; Serena-Ivanovic, Errani-Jankovic

The semifinals of the last big clay court warm-up tournament (in Rome) before the clay court major in Paris starts on May 25th are set.

On the men's side Rafael Nadal outlasted Andy Murray despite losing the first 5 games of the match, by winning the last three games of the match 1-6 6-3 7-5 to reach the semifinals. Nadal will face Grigor Dimitrov. On the other half of the draw Milos Raonic will try to prevent the seemingly inevitable Nadal-Novak Djokovic final. Djokovic took 3-sets to dismiss David Ferrer 7-5 4-6 6-3.
Nadal has not looked fresh and has been coming through some tough 3-set matches, including a 3-hour-18-minute slugfest against Gilles Simon a few rounds ago and another 3-setter against Mikhail Youzhny.  How will the World #1 do against a ready and rested youngster like Dimitrov, who just turned 23 this week? MadProfessah's prediction: Djokovic-Nadal final.

On the women's side, Serena Williams is showing that she is playing her way into form on her way to try to defend her 2013 French Open title. She will face Ana Ivanovic, who handed Serena her most stinging defeat of the year at the 2014 Australian Open for a much anticipated rematch. Ivanovic has already beaten the second best clay-court player on tour in Maria Sharapova in this tournament, snapping a 7-year losing streak to Masha. 2-time Rome champion Jelena Jankovic will face Sara Errani, the hometown favorite who eliminated World #2 Li Na, using the crowd support to earn a rare win over a Top 10 opponent and her very first over someone from the Top 3 (in 21 tries!) There's a chance of an all-Serbian final, but instead I suspect it will be a Jankovic-Serena final on Sunday. Madprofessah prediction: Serena-Jankovic.

Arkansas Supreme Court Issues Stay Halting Marriage Equality

Bad news out of Arkansas today. The Arkansas State Supreme Court issued a stay which suspends a lower court order that had invalidated all legal prohibitions on same-sex marriage in the state. The stay will last through the consideration of the appeal of the lower court ruling and could take up to a year.

At 4:30 p.m. today, with many of the justices at an out-of-state conference, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a stay of Judge Chris Piazza's ruling last Friday that Arkansas law and constitutional bans on same-sex marriage violated the U.S. Constitution. It was a one-sentence order without any elaboration. Piazza's decision will now go through the appeal process. A record of the lower court case must be prepared. A briefing schedule must be set and probably oral arguments. The court takes a two-month recess each summer. Even with an expedited schedule, it's uncertain if the case can be decided this calendar year, when two of the current justices — Cliff Hoofman and Donald Corbin — will be replaced by Rhonda Wood and the winner of a race between Judge Robin Wynne and Tim Cullen.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

Maryland Becomes 17th State With Transgender-Specific Non-Discrimination Law

Good news! Maryland became the 17th state with an LGBT rights law that explicitly includes gender identity and gender expression to cover transgender and cisgender individuals from discrimination when Governor Martin O'Malley signed the measure today.

The Washington Blade reports:

O’Malley signing SB 212 into law caps off an eight-year effort to add gender identity and expression to Maryland’s anti-discrimination act. The measure is also the latest in a series of progressive bills that include the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples, raising the state’s minimum wage and decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana that the governor has signed during his two terms in office. 

“It is always an amazing moment to be present when something that so many people have worked on for so many years comes to fruition,” said [Equality Maryland Executive Director Carrie] Evans. “We thank Gov. O’Malley for his continuing leadership on ensuring equality for LGBT Marylanders.” 

[...] 

Maryland will join 17 other states, D.C. and Puerto Rico that have added gender identity and expression to their anti-discrimination laws once the law takes effect on Oct. 1. The state’s hate crimes statute also include trans-specific protections.

Congratulations to Maryland!

Hat/tip to GLAAD Blog

Marriage Equality Back On In Arkansas, Off (For Now) In Idaho

Although judges have struck down the laws banning marriage equality in Idaho and Arkansas in the last week, the status of marriage equality in each jurisdiction is in different states of flux in these two states.

The 9th U.S. Circuit has issued a stay in the case of Latta v. Otter which will prevent the judge's order from going into effect on Friday until the 9th Circuit formally considers the request for a more permanent stay tha would last the duration of the period it takes to decide the appeal from the state of the ruling allowing marriage equality to go into effect in Idaho.

In Arkansas, same-sex couples have been able to get married since last Saturday but after the Arkansas State Supreme Court refused to issue a stay to stop those marriages but noted that the original order did not invalidate the state law which prohibited clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples marriages had stopped in the state. The judge responded by issuing a new order today making it clear that any prohibition on issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples is null and void, resulting in Arkansas's largest county (Pulaski) to resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Exciting times in deed!

Game of Thrones (S4E06) : "The Laws of Gods and Men"

Episode 6 of Season 4 of Game of Thrones is titled "The Laws of Gods and Men" which is presumably a reference to the trial of Tyrion Lannister for the murder of King Joffrey Barratheon, his nephew. In particular episode S4E06 is about the central question of the law: what is justice?

Summary
The issue of justice is front and center in Essos where Dany is meeting with supplicants who have
issues with her previous actions and the murderous habits of her beloved dragons. In "Breaker of Chains" and "Oathkeeper" we saw Dany respond to the crucifixion of over one hundred slave children by ordering the crucifixion of an equal number of slave masters after the slave revolt she fostered was successful in Mereen. However in this episode we learn that these slave masters had families and loved ones and they do not view what she did as justice, but cruelty. Dany agrees to let one of the supplicants take his father's rotting body out of the sun for a decent burial. This is an indication that actions that seemed reasonable at one point in time can have surprising consequences and  be perceived very differently by others.

Back in Westeros the central event is the trial of Tyrion Lannister, as we saw Ser Meryn Trant (of the Kingsguard), Grandmaester Pycelle, Lord Varys, Cersei Lannister and his beloved Shae all give heart-rending testimony against him until The Imp finally loses it and lashes out against the people of King's Landing and anyone who has ever mistreated him for being a dwarf, which is basically everyone, in his eyes. The episode ends with Tyrion rejecting the future his brother and father have prepared for him and instead called for "trial by combat" to decide his fate.

Highlights
There were many highlights of this week's episode

• Gimme An Emmy! The monologue in the final scene by Peter Dinklage is probably the best thing he has done on the show in 4 seasons, so since he already has an Emmy for his work in Season 1 he really should be rewarded later this year with another.
• Share The Wealth. Dinklage is not the only member of the main cast who is doing work that should be recognized as the best on television. Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister is taking one of the most important characters in the story (as the richest and ostensibly the most powerful man in Westeros for decades, the uber-patriarch) and made every scene he is in (and there are many!) better by his presence and performance. One of the key reasons Game of Thrones is a phenomenon is due to Charles Dance. Hopefully Emmy voters will recognize this fact soon!
• I'll Take Those Odds. The scene where Jaime Lannister realizes that he has been outplayed by his father, again, is a classic moment. Jaime thought he was being gallant by finally agreeing to leave the Kinsguard and renounce his vows of celibacy and rejection of family ties if Tywin in his capacity as chief judge presiding over the court deciding Tyrion's fate will spare his younger brother's life. "Done!" Tywin says and Jaime realizes that he has just played into his father's plan to get Jaime to resume his role as the rightful heir to the Lannister ancestral home at Casterly Rock after all.
• Sexual Deviants Unite! Varys is one of my favorite characters and that's why I complained last week about his extensive absences as we learned more about Littlefinger's role in some of the most important event of the recent history of Westeros. This week we had a curious scene between the known bisexual Oberyn Martell of Dorne and the known eunuch Varys in the presence of the Iron Throne itself. We learned that Varys is not the kind of "sexual deviant" that many have thought. In fact, Varys tells Oberyn that he has no sexual desire at all, instead he channels that urge in to other directions and then glanced at the Iron Throne suggestively.

Lowlights
Nothing is perfect; as usual the episode had some high points and low points.  To be specific:

• Do They Not Have Dogs On The Iron Islands? The scene where Theon/Reek's sister Yara finally reaches the castle where her brother has been kept captive and tortured and attempts to rescue him is comedy of blunders and just simply doesn't work. Much to Yara's surprise Theon doesn't want to come with her, since he has truly been brainwashed into submission by the sadistic Ramsay Snow. Worse yet, her marauding party is chased off by a shirtless Ramsay releasing his dogs on the Iron Born, who in the books are renowned for their courage and toughness, symbolized by their near-drowning hazing ritual.
• Why Is Sherlock Holmes' Brother in Braavos? Mark Gatiss, the co-creator of the reboot of Sherlock which stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role and Gatiss as his brother Mycroft Holmes, was cast to represent the face of the Iron Bank in Braavos. One issue that George R.R. Martin and the HBO adaptation have not handled very well are the depictions of race and ethnicity in Westeros and Essos. I think the actor is quite good, but I would have preferred a more ethnic actor to represent Braavosi power.

Grade: 9/10 (A).
Overall,  S4E06 is a very good episode, down slightly from last week's. The key event of Tyrion's trial is presented quite stirringly and Tyrion's speech to the gallery becomes one of the best moments of the show, if not the season, as it should.

2014 ROME: New Dad Federer Loses 3rd Set Tiebreaker Versus Jeremy Chardy

Roger Federer lost his very first match as a father of four, against Jeremy Chardy of France, in a tight 3-set match, 1-6 6-3 7-6(6) despite having a match point in the 3rd set tiebreaker on his own serve.
Roger does not seem to upset, because he will return home to Switzerland to spend time with his wife Mirka and his four kid Charlene and Myla (both 5) and Lenny and Leo (both 1 week old!) prior to the start of the French Open on May 26th.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Idaho's Ban On Marriage Equality!

Boo yah! Federal judicial magistrate Wagahoff Dale wrote a strongly worded decision eviscerating the state's reasons for denying the fundamental freedom to marry to same-sex couples who want to marry in Idaho and struck down the state's ban on marriage equality on Tuesday, refusing to issue a stay on his decision.

It must be noted that he is now joining a throng of judges who have looked at their jurisdictions marriage laws and been unable to come up with even a rational reason for denying the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. Just last Friday a state district court judge in Arkansas struck down that red state's bans on marriage equality. Yesterday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments and looks likely to uphold a lower court ruling striking down Virginia's ban on marriage equality. Things are moving fast, folks!

Check out this excerpt from the end of the judge's decision in Latta v. Otter:

CONCLUSION
The Plaintiffs are entitled to extraordinary remedies because of their extraordinary injuries. Idaho's Marriage Laws withhold from them a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted. By doing so, Idaho'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. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love. 

The Defendants offered no evidence that same-sex marriage would adversely affect opposite-sex marriages or the well-being of children. Without proof, the Defendants' justifications echo the unsubstantiated fears that could not prop up the anti-miscegenation laws and rigid gender roles of days long past. Then as now, it is the duty of the courts to apply the law to the facts in evidence. Here, the facts are clear and the law teaches that marriage is a fundamental right of all citizens, which neither tradition nor the majority can deny. 

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection lie at the core of our constitutional system. While the Supreme Court has not expressly decided the issues of this case, it has over the decades marked the path that leads to today's decision. "[T]he history of our Constitution . . . is the story of the extension of constitutional rights and protections to people once ignored or excluded." United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 557 (1996). Slow as the march toward equality may seem, it is never in vain. 

ORDER
... The Court hereby DECLARES that Idaho's Marriage Laws are unconstitutional because they violate Plaintiffs' rights under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. 

The Court PERMANENTLY ENJOINS the State of Idaho and its officers, employees, agents, and political subdivisions from enforcing Article III, § 28 of the Idaho Constitution; Idaho Code Sections 32-201 and 32-209; and any other laws or regulations to the extent they do not recognize same-sex marriages validly contracted outside Idaho or prohibit otherwise qualified same-sex couples from marrying in Idaho. This injunction shall take effect at 9:00 a.m. MDT on May 16, 2014. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Hat/tip to Freedom to Marry!

QUEER QUOTE: Matt Foreman Opposes Federal LGBT Legislation, Says #ENDAisNOTEqual

Well, well, well! Expressing publicly thoughts which many LGBT activists (like myself) have had privately for years, Matt Foreman, former head of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and eminence rose of the LGBT movement has said that the current "federal gay rights bill," commonly known as ENDA (which passed the United States Senate for the first time in its 40-year history last year) is a waste of time.

To be precise he said this:

"It's pathetic that four decades have gone by without Congress extending basic civil rights protections to LGBT Americans. It's even more pathetic that what's left of Bella Abzug's comprehensive legislation is ENDA - a small-bore bill that is now riddled with giveaways to anti-gay forces, including a religious exemption big enough for an 18-wheeler to cruise through. It's time to pull the plug on this essentially lifeless corpse and demand full equality under the federal civil rights statutes."

ENDA is (and has been for at least a decade) the #1 priority of HRC, the nations largest LGBT political advocacy organization. But with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, no pro-LGBT legislation will be enacted in the near-future, since only a handful of House Republicans (well, 7) are publicly supportive of the measure. The hardest thing about banning anti-gay discrimination in federal law is that most Americans already think it is illegal (and think that it should be), which paradoxically reduces momentum for enacting such a policy into law.

I agree with Matt that ENDA should be replaced by a comprehensive civil rights bill that calls for an end to discrimination in public accommodations, employment, education and housing, basically amend the 1964 civil rights act and add "sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression" to the words where "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin" appear in the text.

However, it does seem like pushing for a more comprehensive measure will make enacting basic projections in the 23 states where you can currently be fired for being LGB even less likely to happen in the near term.

So, I disagree that ENDA should be withdrawn, I think it should be supported, IN ADDITION to a comprehensive bill.

What do you think?