Tag Archives: US History

Via press release from the White House: Since taking office, President Obama and his Administration have made historic strides in expanding opportunities and advancing equality and justice for all Americans, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. From major legislative achievements to historic court victories to important policy changes, the President has fought to promote the equal rights of …

Via press release: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced a resolution to designate June 26, as “LGBT Equality Day,” honoring the anniversary of three significant victories won at the U.S. Supreme Court for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans. “America should celebrate the progress we have made to pass on to the next generation …

Just in from Evan Wolfson, former president of the gone-out-of-business Freedom To Marry: On June 26, it will be one year since the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the freedom to marry nationwide. Love won – and the path to our triumphant victory stretched back years and miles. It was paved by the efforts, talents, and engagement of millions of people. …

If you weren’t with us in last night’s live thread, you’ll want to watch this. The Wrap recaps: A jubilant Hillary Clinton was all smiles as she took the stage following her New Jersey primary victory and declared, “We’re all standing under a glass ceiling right now, but don’t worry — we’re not smashing this one. Thanks to you, we’ve …

CNN reports: Barack Obama on Friday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he called for a “world without nuclear weapons” during his remarks at the city’s Peace Memorial Park. Obama said that “71 years ago on a bright, cloudless morning, death fell from the sky and the world was changed.” “A flash of light and a …

Earlier this week the Obama administration signaled its intention to declare the Stonewall Inn a national monument to LGBT rights. Franklin Graham is ever so pissed: A monument to sin? That’s unbelievable. War heroes deserve a monument, our nation’s founding fathers deserve a monument, people who have helped to make America strong deserve a monument — but a monument to …

Earlier this week Variety reported that Will Ferrell would be playing a second-term Ronald Reagan beset by the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Not anymore: “The Reagan script is one of a number of scripts that had been submitted to Will Ferrell which he had considered,” Ferrell’s agent told The New York Post. “While it is by no means a ‘Alzheimer’s comedy’ …

Variety reports: Having already famously portrayed former President George W. Bush in various comedy sketches, Will Ferrell is now setting his sights on another former commander in chief. Sources tell Variety Ferrell is attached to star as President Ronald Reagan in the Black List script “Reagan.” Penned by Mike Rosolio, the story begins at the start of the ex-president’s second …

“Harriet Tubman would likely be turning over in her grave if she knew she would be the new face of American debt slavery. She would revile the cheap trick being pulled on African Americans in getting them to support this nearly bankrupt symbol of American debt. It is amazing how, just as the currency dwindles down to near worthlessness – …

Mediaite recaps the clip below: Fox’s Greta Van Susteren ended her show tonight by going on a mini-rant about how the government is “dividing the country” by putting Harriet Tubman on the $20. Wait, what? Yes, Van Susteren tonight said the Obama administration “went stupid” by creating a “completely unnecessary fight” by kicking Andrew Jackson off the bill. Greta: “Give …

Politico has the scoop: Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Wednesday will announce a decision to keep Alexander Hamilton on the front of the $10 bill and put leaders of the movement to give women the right to vote on the back of the bill, sources tell POLITICO. Treasury will also announce that it plans to replace former President Andrew Jackson …

Politico today published a fascinating look at Donald Trump’s close association with Roy Cohn, who arguably remains the most infamous homocon in American history. An excerpt: It was the fall of 1984, Trump Tower was new, and this was unusual territory for the 38-year-old real estate developer. He was three years away from his first semi-serious dalliance with presidential politics, …

Today is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 83rd birthday and progressives are flooding Twitter with well wishes. The Huffington Post has published a compilation of RBG’s most famous quotes. Here’s one for us: “In recent years, people have said, ‘This is the way I am.’ And others looked around, and we discovered it’s our next-door neighbor — we’re very …

An amusing story from the Austin Statesman: Y’all already all know that Texas is known for its slang. The state is home to a slew of Southern colloquialisms as well as totally unique sayings you won’t hear anywhere else. But did you know that the word “Texas” is in itself a slang word? According to Texas Monthly, Norwegians have long …

Via press release: As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on same-sex marriage, Yahoo News presents a new 30-minute documentary, “Uniquely Nasty: The U.S. Government’s War on Gays,” reported and narrated by chief investigative correspondent Michael Isikoff. The film explores a dark and little-known chapter in America’s recent political past, when gays and lesbians were barred from working for …

“The Confederate Battle Flag may mean many things, but with those things it represents a defiance against abolition and against civil rights. The symbol was used to enslave the little brothers and sisters of Jesus, to bomb little girls in church buildings, to terrorize preachers of the gospel and their families with burning crosses on front lawns by night. That …

CNN Money reports: On Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said a woman will be featured on a redesigned $10 bill in 2020 — the 100th anniversary of the Constitution’s 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. A decision on who the woman will be won’t be made for several months. The last woman on U.S. paper currency …

Wingnuts are having a field day.

And there’s a website that will be posting biographies about a different LGBT figure every day. They begin today with Roberta Achtenberg.

Immediately upon the news that Paul Ryan had been selected, I quizzed folks here and on social media whether we’d ever had a major presidential ticket without a Protestant. There was a lot of pondering, particularly on whether Quakers (Richard Nixon) are considered Protestants. The National Journal apparently doesn’t think so. In 1928, New York Governor Al Smith, a Democrat, …