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Bathroom Cops Now Accosting Androgynous Women in Women's Restrooms

It's been a couple of years since America began its latest freak-out over LGBT people. The current freak-out is over the idea of trans-inclusive bathroom policies. The meme is that communities and businesses cannot have LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination policies or else sex predators will have free reign over public restrooms, which will leave women and children vulnerable to sexual assaults, and there will be nothing that the police will be able to do to protect those women or children.

Which has led us to the latest fall-out from the freak-out: Self-appointed bathroom cops who come into women's restrooms to protect women from other women. For example, there was this lesbian who was kicked out of the women's bathroom last December because of her gender-ambiguous style and because she didn't have photo ID proving that she's a woman. Of course, she told the cops that she is a woman and her friends all told the cops that she is a woman and I could tell that she is a woman from looking at her.

But the cops called her "Sir" and kicked her out of the restroom and presumably sent her to the men's restroom to pee with a bunch of guys. Because it's not about actually allowing women to pee with other women. I's about control and about enforcing gender norm. You can watch the video here.

Now there's a new story coming out of Dallas involving another self-appointed bathroom cop who recently chased a woman named Jessica Rush into the women's restroom at a hospital:
She was, for the record, and her situation isn't particularly complicated. Rush was born and identifies as female and has no plans to change that. "I look very much like a girl," she says. "I'm not trying to transition, nothing like that." 

But Rush wears her hair in a bleached blond fauxhawk and dresses androgynously. On Thursday, she was wearing a T-shirt from her alma mater, Texas Tech, with basketball shorts. As the man at Baylor explained after walking into the restroom behind her, it's all very confusing... 

"When I saw you enter I thought you was..." the man says. 

"A boy?" Rush offers. 

"Yeah, it was kind of confusing." Certainly she can see why. "You dress like a man," he says several times as he walks away. 

Later, in the doctor's office lobby where Rush was waiting to have a pair of broken fingers looked at, the man elaborated that he was concerned that a man had entered the same bathroom his mother was going to use. 
According to the article, Rush has been confronted several other times by people who don't think that she should use the women's restroom.

This is the new normal. Religious and social conservatives have gotten our country all freaked out over sex predators in women's restrooms and now men are harassing women in the women's restrooms.

Honey Boo Boo To Be Featured on OWN's "Where Are They Now"

I was online today and noticed that Oprah Winfrey is set to air an episode of "Where Are They Now" tonight and that part of the show will feature Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her family. You might recall that "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" got canceled in late 2014 after the tabloids ran with a story that Mama June Shannon was dating a convicted sex offender -- not to mention the man who sexually molested her oldest daughter.

Looking back, it seems like TLC cut and ran from the family before getting enough of the details. I have heard conflicting stories of what went down, but it seems like June's involvement with this man had more to do with her middle child seeking an interaction with her birth father and less about her dating him. But the family was uncharacteristically evasive early on when it came to explaining this story and, as a result, both they and the network let the tabloids and the media define this situation.

On the other hand, it was probably a good thing for the family (and the children, in particular) to separate from the reality TV show. Alana spent half of her life in front of cameras and it was clear from several of her media events that she really didn't want to be there much of the time.

So the family has been out of the public eye for most of the past 1 1/2 years (with the exception of her music video "Movin Up!" and her parents' appearance on the most recent "Marriage Boot Camp" season).

My son is hosting a sleep-over at our home tonight, which means that I won't be able to watch this episode of "Where Are They Now." But I really want to see it!

My family thinks I'm odd for my fascination with Honey Boo Boo, her family, and her program. But I really found them fun to watch and have continued to find them accessible to fans -- particularly her uncle, Lee "Uncle Poodle" Thompson and his fiance Alan. I bristle when people make fun of her weight and her antics and I really want to see what she's like when she's not performing -- at least, not performing like she needed to do for the reality TV shows that she was on before as opposed to sitting through a simple interview.

Hopefully I won't have too long to wait to see this program. My plan is to check in again after watching this episode of "Where Are They Now" and offer my reaction.

You can watch the promo video here.

This Weekend's Riverdale Podcast: Who Are Your Top 5 Character Picks??

You all know that I'm a fan of "The Riverdale Podcast." This is a weekly fan podcast by Jonathan Merrifield that dedicates each episode to Archie Comics. I've been listening for years and have had the pleasure of appearing on the program on a few occasions. Last week, Jonathan asked his listeners to share their top 5 favorite Archie Comics characters outside of the core five characters. He posted this request on the Archie Comics Fan Forum and then shared the results over everyone's top 5 list on this week's program.

For the record, here is Jonathan's top 5 list:

1. Li'l Jinx
2. Sheila Wu
3. Josie
4. Pepper
5. Ethel

All great choices, by the way. And I agree 1000% with his assessment of Sheila Wu, particularly how she's being portrayed in the "New Riverdale" relaunch!

Here is my list:

1. Kevin Keller -- Hands down. He is my favorite character. I know that it's cliche for the gay fan to love Archie Comics' gay character. But I'll own it. I love it when he appears in a comic book and I really can't wait to read the upcoming KEVIN IN THE CITY digital series this summer!


2. Cosmo the Merry Martian -- I've had the joy of reading his entire comic book run from the 1950s. I actually didn't like the guy visually when I first discovered him. But then I read the stories -- which featured his explorations of the Solar System -- and acquired a deep appreciation for this classic character!


3. Dotty & Ditto: Keep in mind that I love reading old comic books online from MLJ, Archie, Charlton and a few other Golden Age publishers. If I were to write up my top 5 list today, I don't know that Dotty & Ditto would make it there. But they were on my mind, so they made it to my list. Dotty is a young cowgirl who goes on adventures with her pet parrot, Ditto.


Incidentally, I have a story in my head (what fan doesn't?) featuring Dotty, Super Duck, Wilbur, Archie, the Twiddles, and a few other characters! If you're from Archie Comics and reading this, send me a note and I'll pitch it to you!

4. Jinx -- I'm talking about the teen version of this character, as opposed to the Li'l Jinx version of the character. Back when I first got back into Archie Comics (about five years ago), the company revamped Li'l Jinx as a high school freshman. There were two graphic novels featuring the character and her friends. These were great comics. Really great comics. I'm assuming that they didn't sell very well because we haven't seen any other books in this series of titles. But if you haven't read it and you're looking for something good to read from Archie Comics' vault, you owe it to yourself to snag these books!


5. Sam Hill -- Here is another classic character who recently went through an uneventful return! Sam Hill is a private detective with an eye for the ladies and a taste for whole milk! He had his own comic book back in the early 1950s and then disappeared until 2013 when he was hired by Mr. Lodge in LIFE WITH ARCHIE to locate a missing person and to save Riverdale! Sam Hill later had a graphic novel of his own, but it languished in the solicits until Archie Comics finally published it as a digital exclusive on their app. I'm very slowly reading through it, but it's pretty good stuff!


So those are my top 5 Archie Comics characters. There are three other characters who are jumping around in my head right now who could easily knock one of these five folks off of my list, but I'm sticking with this for now!

Who are your top 5 picks for secondary Archie Comics characters? Share your choices in the comments section below!

Paramount & CBS Suing Trek Fan-Filmers // Claiming Copyright Ownership of the Klingon Language

Late last year, Paramount and CBS filed a lawsuit against the makers of a "Star Trek"-themed fan-film called "Axanar."Axanar's creators raised over $1 million in crowdfund money for their movie and Paramount -- normally quite permissive when it comes to encouraging fans -- decided that enough was enough:
Paramount and CBS, represented by attorneys at Loeb & Loeb, are now demanding an injunction as well as damages for direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Although the plaintiffs have allowed ample cosplaying over the years and even permitted other derivatives like amateur Star Trek shows to circulate, the lawsuit illustrates that there is a place where no man has gone before, where the entertainment studios are not willing to let be occupied: crowdfunded, professional-quality films that use copyrighted "elements" like Vulcans and Klingons, Federation starships, phasers and stuff like the "look and feel of the planet, the characters’ costumes, their pointy ears and their distinctive hairstyle."
Here is one of the more interesting elements of the lawsuit: Paramount and CBS are claiming copyright ownership of the Klingon language:
Paramount and CBS listed many, but what drew most attention was claimed entitlement to the Klingon language. The defendant then reached back to a 19th century Supreme Court opinion for the proposition that Klingon is not copyrightable as a useful system.

On April 11, that drew an entertaining response from the flummoxed plaintiffs.

"This argument is absurd since a language is only useful if it can be used to communicate with people, and there are no Klingons with whom to communicate," stated a plaintiffs' brief authored by David Grossman at Loeb & Loeb. "The Klingon language is wholly fictitious, original and copyrightable, and Defendants' incorporation of that language in their works will be part of the Court's eventual substantial similarity analysis. Defendants' use of the Klingon language in their works is simply further evidence of their infringement of Plaintiffs' characters, since speaking this fictitious language is an aspect of their characters."
Axanar's creators are pushing back:
Before U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner gets a chance to rule on a motion to dismiss, he's now being asked permission to review a friend-of-the-court brief from the Language Creation Society.
The brief, authored by Marc Randazza, begins by noting that the Klingon language was invented in 1984 by Marc Okrand for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

"Before that, when actors played Klingons in Star Trek television programs or movies, they simply uttered guttural sounds or spoke in English (Federation Standard)," writes Randazza. "Given that Paramount Pictures commissioned the creation of some of the language, it is understandable that Paramount might feel some sense of ownership over the creation. But, feeling ownership and having ownership are not the same thing. The language has taken on a life of its own. Thousands of people began studying it, building upon it, and using it to communicate among themselves."
The article notes that 250,000 copies of a Klingon dictionary have been sold, there are Klingon language certification programs, and there are English-to-Klingon translation programs. There was even a couple who wrote their wedding vows in the Klingon language!

Iowa Selected Its First Transgender Presidential Elector!

Humanity continues to freak out over trans people using public restrooms. In fact, it's hard to go online these days without reading a story about trans people and bathrooms. So here's a good one coming from Iowa:

A Des Moines-based trans man just became the first openly transgender presidential elector from Iowa. It's even possible that he's the first openly transgender presidential elector in the USA. His name is Jack Schuler and he's a high school teacher and he got selected as an elector this past weekend during the 3rd District Democratic Convention in Creston, IA:
“There were a few people who wanted to be elector, and we each got a minute to speak,” Schuler said during a break from class Monday. “I spoke from the heart. I mentioned that I was trans and that it is only because people are committed to the democratic process that I can exist openly in this country.”

An elector is different than national delegates, who were also selected at all four of Iowa's Democratic district conventions. A delegate attends the nominating convention and casts a vote to determine the party’s nominee. As an elector, Schuler will cast a vote in the Electoral College to determine the president.

The Democratic Party has had transgender delegates previously. "In 2012, we had a record number of transgender delegates (14)," (DNC spokesman TJ) Helmstetter said in a statement.

"We are committed as a party to welcoming transgender Americans at all levels of participation," he said.
For the record, he appears to be a Sanders Clinton supporter.

Team-Members Revealed for Upcoming "New Mutants" Film?

There are plans for a "New Mutants" movie. Director Josh Boone began posting comic book images of various New Muties on his Instagram page, implying that these were his team members.

If his Instagram images are to be believed, the movie will feature Mirage, Cannonball, Magik, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, and Warlock! Which would be a pretty wicked team!

What do you think of this team-up?

Oskaloosa, IA: Cat Taped in Plastic Box and Left for Dead in City Dump

The Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa, IA, reported that they were called out yesterday to rescue a cat that had been taped inside a plastic tote and left at the city's dump.

From their Facebook page:
HELP US FIND CECILIA'S ABUSER! Last night our Animal Control Officer responded to an after hours emergency call to the city brush dump. When he arrived, he found a plastic tote box, taped shut on all sides with a couple of small holes poked in the sides. Inside the tote was this sweet girl, who we named Cecilia. It was clear that poor Cecilia had been in the tote for a while, as she was sitting in about 1/2 inch of her own urine and feces that had accumulated in the tote. Cecilia was filthy, and terrified. Fortunately, a good samaritan noticed the tote at the dump, investigated, and contacted the police department, who then contacted us. Considering that Cecelia was left at the brush dump, and the tote she was in was so tightly taped shut, it's very clear that whoever dumped her intended for her to die in that tote. They didn't even give her a chance. It's very hard to come up with the right words to describe how saddened and angry we are that somebody here in our own community could be so blatantly cruel towards a living creature. Whoever did this should be ashamed of themselves. What this person did was a crime, and should be held accountable. We did get one clue as to who may have done this to Cecilia: the tape that was used to tape the tote shut is called StegoTape, and is used in construction to seal gaps and prevent water from penetrating a given surface. While this clue doesn't do much to help us figure out who did this on it's own, it does narrow down the suspect pool a little bit and we are hoping that someone out there might have some additional pieces to the puzzle to help bring this cruel individual to justice. If you think you have information that might help us please let us know!!!
They are asking for assitsnace to find the person who left Cecilia to die. People can contact the Oskaloosa Police Department at 641-672-2557 or the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter at 641-673-3991.

Salvation Army Promotes Trans-Inclusive Homeless Outreach Program

I've written a bit about the Salvation Army in the past along with its conflicting history with the LGBT communities. I was on YouTube tonight and noticed a more recent video on Salvation Army USA's page featuring a trans woman named Dooley who has struggled with family abuse and abandonment, homelessness, prostitution, and rape. "I've been through Hell. Terrible Hell."

She eventually learned of a unique Salvation Army program in Las Vegas that has a fairly unique program for transgender people, including a safety dorm that protects them from other participants who might victimize them. She eventually transitioned to a transitional apartment unit for up to one year while they helped her work towards the goal of obtaining long-term affordable housing.

I'm still wary about the Salvation Army and its reputation, but I'm heartened by their very public outreach to LGBT people in need. I hope that this outreach continues.

You can watch the entire video here.

Welcome to the Archie --> Amisha --> Raj Patel Love Triangle in BETTY AND VERONICA COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #243!

BETTY AND VERONICA COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #243 was just released. This comic book digest featured the final chapter of the "Many Loves of Archie Andrews." This was an ambitious 10-part series of short stories that's been appearing at the beginning of each of the BETTY AND VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST comic books for the past several months. Each chapter features a story involving Archie Andrews and some romantic misadventure. Stories so far have included Betty & Veronica, Noelle Claus, Valerie Smith, Cheryl Blossom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Ginger Lopez.

This final story focused on one of my favorite minor characters: Amisha Mehta! She was introduced back in ARCHIE #650 during the world tour storyline. Amisha was an Indian music star with fame and riches who gave it all up to transfer to Riverdale High. Presumably so that she could chase after Archie.

Amisha's chapter of "Many Loves of Archie Andrews" is called "Hooray for Bollywood" and it features story & pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Rick Koslowski, letters by Jack Morelli, and colors by Glenn Whitmore. And I loved it so very much!


Archie and Amisha are helping Raj Patel out with a Bollywood-themed video project, which has Betty and Veronica seeing green because she's obviously falling in love with Archie.

Except that she's not. Much to Archie's dismay, Amisha only has eyes for Raj! Which makes me so very happy! It's about time that some girl realizes that there's more that there's more to Riverdale than Archie Andrews!! Plus, I really like Raj! And why shouldn't he get the girl from time to time?


Of course, Raj is used to every girl falling for Archie and he's totally oblivious to Amisha's advances! What will it take to give Raj a clue? (Hint: Veronica Lodge and her bulldozer approach to dating!)


I just love that the "Many Loves of Archie Andrews" ends with a girl who's really long-past over Archie Andrews and ready to move on!

Flight Delayed After Math Problems Were Mistaken for Terrorist Writings

Here is an example of how Americans have allowed fear and uncertainty to cloud their ability to evaluate their environments rationally. A flight was delayed and a passenger opted to go onto a later flight after she mistook the math equations of an economics professor for some sort of terrorist writings:
An Ivy League professor says his flight was delayed when a fellow passenger mistook his scribbling on a math problem as a sign he might be a terrorist. American Airlines confirms that a woman expressed suspicions about University of Pennsylvania economics professor Guido Menzio. 

He was flying from Philadelphia to Syracuse on Thursday to give a talk at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. He was working on a differential equation, but said he was told the woman thought he might be a terrorist because of what he was writing. 

Casey Norton, a spokesman for the air carrier, said the women’s allegations about Menzio were deemed not credible.
I will give this woman some credit. At least she chose to transfer to a different plane instead of forcing Menzio to leave the flight.

Oxford, Alabama Rescinds Recently Passed Anti-Trans Ordinance

Remember last month when the City of Oxford, Al, passed an ordinance that rebuked Target for having a trans-inclusive bathroom policy, while also making it illegal for trans people to use the public restroom that corresponds with their gender identities? Offenders would face $500 fines or six months in jail.

Oxford received a lot of negative attention. Plus, the City Attorney opined that the ordinance as written might violate federal Title IX provisions. So they just voted to get rid of their anti-trans ordinance:
The Oxford City Council today voted 3-2 to rescind its controversial public restroom ordinance, a little more than a week after it was passed. Council members Charlotte Hubbard, Phil Gardner and Mike Henderson voted to rescind the ordinance, while Council President Steven Waits and Councilman Chris Spurlin voted to keep it. The council was able to reconsider the ordinance, Hubbard said, because it had not yet been signed by Mayor Leon Smith, who is ill.
Keep in mind that city counselors are already talking about passing a new ordinance that's even more anti-trans, according to this article.

Nero at Daycare -- 05/10/16

Nero had a good time today at doggy daycare. He ended up playing with another poodle named Dylan, who looks quite similar to my favorite poodle! Can you tell them apart? (Hint: Nero's the more handsome of the pair!)

Check it out:

Pat Robertson Lumps Homosexuality with Murder and Then Says "Rampant Homosexuality" Destroys Nations

It's been a while since I've watched one of CBN's "Bring It On" segments on "The 700 Club." Co-host Terry Meeuwsen posed the following vague question to Pat Robertson and he ended up getting a dig out there against gay people: "Dear Pat, my husband did a terrible thing years ago that I didn't know about until two days ago. Somebody else discovered it and, for that reason, I want to separate. We have 2 teenage girls who are close to him. Should I tell them the truth or not? I am afraid it is going to destroy them for life because they believe in him. He has been a good father and has always been there for them. Please help me."

Here is Pat's answer:
Pat Robertson: I don't know what he did. You won't tell me. Did he kill somebody? Was it homosexual? Did he cause an abortion? What did he do that was so terrible? Whatever it is, God forgives! God'll forgive him. And you need to forgive him. It looks like something from way in the past. Why would you rip your family up on account of something that took place 20 years ago? That doesn't make any sense at all. So the thing it is, you say, "Look, God forgave you and I'll forgive you. Let's get on with our life!"

Terry Meeuwsen: Because it would rip up her children's lives. 

Pat Robertson: It would be insane! I mean, why would you bring up something that took place years and year and year ago? It's done!
Notice that homosexual offenses line up in the same category as murder and abortion for Pat Robertson. Because it's so wicked. I mean, check out this recent transcript where he went on a rant against LGBT people in our society:
The truth is, from what we understand in history, there hasn’t been one nation in the history of the world that has openly embraced homosexual lifestyle and begun to practice the homosexual lifestyle that has endured. Every one of them has gone down.Every single one of them. Once rampant homosexuality takes place, then people don’t take care of their children, they aren’t concerned about the next generation, they’re concerned about physical pleasure and the activities surrounding this lifestyle, they aren’t planning for the future and the country goes to pot

Right now it it’s kind of in the balance, it’s kind of interesting, but the fact that the European Union and the U.S. is trying to impose this lifestyle on a little country like Georgia that wants to stay orthodox is incredible. 

You look at the Book of Revelation and it says, ‘Mystery Mother of Harlots, you have made the world drunk with the wine of your fornication.’ And you say, who is that ‘mystery woman?’ Well, more and more, this great nation of ours, the U.S. of A, is becoming — to take on that role. I don’t know if we intend to but that’s what’s happening. We’re making the nations drunk with the wine of our fornication and God brings judgment on a country that does that.
You read that correctly. Gay people don't take care of our kids. We go out of our way to adopt them or create them via IVF treatment or whatever and then we ignore them so that we can focus on the carnal pleasures of work or chores and paying the bills and walking the dogs, etc. It's horrible!

And frankly, how many nations through history have experienced "rampant homosexuality?" Can you say "hyperbole?"

Pat Robertson and his ilk are obsessed with LGBT people and families and will stop at nothing to defame and de-legitimize us.

You can watch that rant here.

North Carolina School Board Passes Rule Changes that Allow Students to Carry Mace On-Campus, Citing Trans People in Public Bathrooms // Now Backpedaling Following Public Outcry

So this happened while I was busy working today. A story broke involving the Rowan-Salisbury School Board of Education from Salisbury, NC. The RSS board was worried that their students were unsafe on school property, so passed a policy that allows students to carry pepper spray and mace on the school campuses. It seems that they were concerned that students would forget to leave their mace in their vehicles and get in trouble. Which implies that the schools in Salisbury, NC, are unsafe to their students.

They also voted to allow students to bring shaving razors on school grounds. Because you never know when you'll need to shave between classes.

But the story made national news because RSS board member Chuck Hughes implied that students could use mace on any trans students:
Board member Chuck Hughes was in favor of the sprays on campuses, saying that in his mind, they were purely defensive. He also referenced HB2, saying that the sprays might be useful

“Depending on how the courts rule on the bathroom issues, it may be a pretty valuable tool to have on the female students if they go to the bathroom, not knowing who may come in,” he said.
Hughs quickly backtracked, claiming that he was thinking that female students would use their mace on misbehaving cis-gendered teen boys and "perverts:"
“The LGBT issue has never been a problem to my knowledge,” Hughes said. “People have a different sexual identity, they go about their business. You don’t even know that a transgender is in your bathroom. They’re not there to create havoc. But perverts are.” 

Hughes said he was not homophobic and that the LGBT community had rights to be protected. “They’re not the ones to look out for,” he said. “My statement was misinterpreted and when I hear other people talking about it, I can see how it was misinterpreted.” 

He said he could see teenage boys pretending that their gender identity was female to enter bathrooms “as a joke.”
The RSS board has indicated that they have listened to negative public feedback about this policy change and will re-think it. Basically, they realized that there will be major liability issues if they allow students to run around campus carrying mace and pepper spray.

Waterloo, IA: Graffiti on Synagogue Being Investigated as Hate Crime

Police are investigating a possible hate crime at a synagogue in Waterloo, IA. This happened at Sons of Jacob Synagogue sometime Tuesday evening. Somebody painted "Jesus Saves" and two crosses on the side of the building:
Leaders in the Jewish community are understandably upset by what they call a clear disrespect of their beliefs. "Jesus saves" is a phrase that, in many cases, wouldn't offend most people, but it becomes offensive when the phrase is spray painted on a Jewish Synagogue.

"It is interesting. People are upset. They are very upset. At the same time, as Jews, we know it could have been so much worse. They could have painted swastikas on our building; they didn't," said Sons of Jacob Synagogue Leader Erin Maidan. 

Although not vicious, Police say the graffiti does classify as a hate crime.
Police also found a purple crossed spray-painted on the back of a nearby stop sign.

Possible Gay Character in "Zootopia"

I haven't seen "Zootopia," but it's on my list. I just learned of one more reason to give this cartoon a chance. It seems that there was a gay-married pair in the movie. Or presumed gay-married pair in the movie. There are no visible wedding rings, but they argue like a married couple and they have the same hyphenated last name (according to the credits).


It's possible that they're brothers, but someone on Reddit pointed out that they aren't the same species, so unless there was an adoption that's unlikely:
They're two different species. One is an Oryx and one is a Kudu. That makes it unlikely they're biologically related.
It seems like there's another likely gay character in "Zootopia" named Clawhauser. He's a police dispatcher and "is portrayed as camp and effeminate."

Girl Attacked by Man in Chicago-Based Public Restroom // Culture Warriors Blame Trans-Inclusive Restroom Policies

There's a news story trending right now on Facebook about an 8-year-old girl who was attacked in the public restroom of a Chicago deli by a man.

Here's the gist: a man named Reese Hartstirn allegedly attacked the girl earlier this week, strangling her into unconsciousness. Her screams alerted her mother, who rushed into the bathroom and found the man dragging the unconscious girl into a toilet stall.

The girl was rescued and the man was arrested. He was charged with felony counts of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery of a child. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of battery and aggravated assault of a peace officer for allegedly trying to punch the booking officer. He was denied bond and remains in jail.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I made the mistake of checking out several of the Facebook posts connected to this story. Almost all of them are connecting this attack to trans-inclusive ordinances.

Keep in mind that this man was not in drag. He was not wearing women's clothing. As far as I can ascertain, he has not identified as a trans woman, nor has he used that excuse to attempt to justify his presence in the women's restroom.

And even if he was a trans woman and/or a predator who claimed to be a trans woman so that he could get access to young girls in the public restroom, he still managed to get arrested for doing bad deeds in the public restroom.

Cosplayers Appear on "Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez"

I was home from work yesterday. After returning from the gym, I came home, turned on the television, and stumbled across the last few minutes of "Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez."

I was shocked to see the plaintiffs and defendants wearing costumes. I'm still not sure why they were in costumes -- or why Judge Perez allowed this.

I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure that the defendant was suing the plaintiff for damages that occurred during a fight.

The plaintiff was counter-suing for $2.50 for a slice of pizza that was dropped on the floor during the fight.

The defendant lost his case. But the plaintiff won his counter-suit.

I was completely unimpressed.

Vote Lodge in ARCHIE #8!

I picked up my copy of ARCHIE #8 today, which was a lot of fun! We finally found out why the Lodge family relocated to Riverdale USA: Hiram Lodge wants a community that's small enough for him to take over. He wants to become Riverdale's new mayor, and plans to use this achievement as a stepping stone towards bigger and better political schemes!

And Veronica is pissed!

She hates Riverdale. She hates Riverdale High School. She hates the other teens and students. She hates the lack of sophisticated culture.

But she likes Archie.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lodge hates Archie Andrews! So he hatched an underhanded scheme to get Archie away from Veronica: He offered Mr. Andrews -- Mr. "cash-strapped-barely-paying-the-bills" Andrews -- a high-paying job in Singapore!


Archie is in a pickle! He wants to stay in Riverdale with Veronica and Jughead and Betty and the others, but he can't tell his father the truth. He can't tell his father that his dream-job was only offered to him in order to separate the lovebird teens! How can he fight back without hurting his father?

Find out in ARCHIE #8, which features words by Mark Waid, art by Veronica Fish, coloring by Andre Szymanowicz & Jen Vaughn, and lettering by Jack Morelli.

Danbury, CT: Short-Haired Woman Mistaken for Trans Woman & Verbally Confronted by Culture Warrior in Walmart Bathroom

A young woman from Danbury, CT, recently posted a video on Facebook about an encounter with a hostile woman at Walmart. 22-year-old Aimee Toms was washing her hands in the public restroom when another woman approached her and told her "You're disgusting!" and "You don't belong here!"

Toms recently donated her hair to a charity that makes natural wigs for child cancer patients, so she has a short pixie cut. She was also wearing a baseball cap. Toms quickly realized that the stranger assumed that she is a trans woman for some reason -- though she's obviously a cisgender woman to me:
“I get it. The short hair. The baseball cap. I was wearing a plain blue T-shirt. She saw me from the back,” Toms said. But “... at the sake of sounding blunt, I’m not a flat-chested person. I have got something going on up here.”
Toms did not report the incident to Walmart's management. She didn't know exactly where the woman was and didn't know what they could do to remedy the situation in the first place.

But this is yet another example of people freaking out and accosting women who are obviously not transgender because they (the freakers) are reacting with transphobic fear responses instead of using their heads and assessing the situation.

And frankly, let's imagine that Aimee Toms was actually a trans woman. What exactly was she doing in the bathroom that was so disgusting? I mean, she was practicing good hygiene!

You can watch Toms' video here.
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