Random News: June 19, 2023

DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.

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Good morning. It’s June 19, 2023, and it’s a Monday. It’s a federal holiday in the USA called Juneteenth, but like most holidays beyond the big ones of New Year’s, Independence Day, ThanksGiving, and Christmas, I’m a business owner and I’m working, so let’s knock out some stuff that might make us better by knowing…

• But first, today’s Pride note, which is on a number of LBGTQIA+ milestones in the USA.
• 1924: The Society for Human Rights is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. It is the first documented gay rights organization.
• 1952: The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual lists homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance.
• 1953: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order that bans homosexuals from working for the federal government, saying they are a security risk.
• 1955: Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first known lesbian rights organization in the United States, forms in San Francisco.
• 1961: Illinois becomes the first state to decriminalize homosexuality by repealing their sodomy laws.
• 1969: Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Protests and demonstrations begin, and it later becomes known as the impetus for the gay civil rights movement in the United States.
• 1969: The “Los Angeles Advocate,” founded in 1967, is renamed “The Advocate.” It is considered the oldest continuing LGBTQ publication that began as a newsletter published by the activist group Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) in 1966.
• 1970: Community members in New York City march through the local streets to recognize the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This event is named Christopher Street Liberation Day and is now considered the first gay pride parade.
• 1973: Maryland becomes the first state to statutorily ban same-sex marriage.
• 1973: By a vote of 5,854 to 3,810, the American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
• 1975: Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich reveals his sexual orientation to his commanding officer and is forcibly discharged from the Air Force six months later. Matlovich is a Vietnam War veteran and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. In 1980, the Court of Appeals rules that the dismissal was improper. Matlovich is awarded his back pay and a retroactive promotion.
• 1978: Harvey Milk is inaugurated as San Francisco city supervisor, and is the first openly gay man to be elected to a political office in California.
• 1978: Inspired by Milk to develop a symbol of pride and hope for the LGBTQ community, Gilbert Baker designs and stitches together the first rainbow flag.
• 1982: Wisconsin becomes the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• 1993: President Bill Clinton signs a military policy directive that prohibits openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the military, but also prohibits the harassment of “closeted” homosexuals. The policy is known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
• 1996: President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage and defining marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.”
• 2003: The US Supreme Court strikes down the “homosexual conduct” law, which decriminalizes same-sex sexual conduct, with their opinion in Lawrence v. Texas. The decision also reverses Bowers v. Hardwick, a 1986 US Supreme Court ruling that upheld Georgia’s sodomy law.
• 2004: The first legal same-sex marriage in the United States takes place in Massachusetts.
• 2008: The California Supreme Court rules that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples is unconstitutional.
• 2011: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed, ending a ban on gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
• 2012: The Democratic Party becomes the first major US political party in history to publicly support same-sex marriage on a national platform at the Democratic National Convention.
• 2014: The United States Supreme Court denies review in five different marriage cases, allowing lower court rulings to stand, and therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin. The decision opens the door for the right to marry in Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
• 2015: The US Supreme Court rules that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. The 5-4 ruling had Justice Anthony Kennedy writing for the majority. Each of the four conservative justices writes their own dissent.
• 2016: Secretary of Defense Carter announces that the Pentagon is lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in the US military.
• 2017: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the Civil Rights Act prohibits workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees, after Kimberly Hively sues Ivy Tech Community College for violating Title VII of the act by denying her employment.
• 2017: President Donald Trump announces via Twitter that the “United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military…”
• 2018: The Pentagon confirms that the first transgender person has signed a contract to join the US military.
• 2020: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of former student, Gavin Grimm in a more than four-year fight over restroom policies for transgender students. The ruling states that policies segregating transgender students from their peers is unconstitutional and violates federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education.
• 2021: President Joe Biden signs an executive order repealing the 2019 Trump-era ban on most transgender Americans joining the military.
• 2021: The State Department announces that the US has issued the first US passport with an X gender marker for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons.
• 2022: The Social Security Administration announces that people can now choose their sex marker in their Social Security records.
• Well damn, that was a lot of info, but I think it does illustrate that even when things seem like they’re going badly (and trust me, there are always evil forces to fight), they always tend to slowly improve over time.
• Let’s do news…
• As I‘ve mentioned multiple times recently, it’s Juneteenth today, a holiday that’s been honored by some American Black people for over 150 years but just became a federal holiday as of 2021.
• Some people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts, private gatherings, and other events.
• Is there a “right” way to celebrate Juneteenth? For some, it’s a day of barbecues and fun with friends and family; for others, it’s a day of service.
• Should you celebrate Juneteenth if you’re not Black? Sure. It commemorates part of our nation’s history. But that doesn’t mean inviting yourself to appropriate culture, and it definitely doesn’t mean you should assume you’re invited to the barbecue either.
• Maybe instead, learn some more about the history of Black people in America, or patronize Black-owned businesses this week, or plan a visit to an African American history museum.
• In other news…
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States and China had made progress toward steering relations back on track as both sides agreed on the need to stabilize the relationship between the two superpowers.
• Blinken spent two days in Beijing meeting with top officials including President Xi Jinping, and  said his “hope and expectation is we will have better communications, better engagement going forward.” I hope so too.
• Blinken is the first US secretary of state to visit Beijing in five years.
• Moving on…
• Today, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered defense lawyers for Donald John Trump not to release evidence in the classified documents case to the media or the public.
• The order also put strict conditions on Trump's access to the materials.
• "The Discovery materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court."
• It also specified that Trump "shall not retain copies" and that he may only review case materials "under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsel's staff."
• "Not releasing evidence" is something that Trump is very, very, very, not good at.
• Moving on…
• The U.S. Coast Guard has reported that more than 14,000 pounds of cocaine was intercepted  in international waters in nine separate recent cases. Twelve suspected drug smugglers were arrested on a variety of charges.
• The value of the 7+ tons of confiscated cocaine that was seized in international waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean?” An estimated $186 million.
• In other news…
• Lurking behind efforts to roll back abortion rights, to demonize trans people, and to peel back the protections afforded to gay and queer Americans is a shadowy, well-funded rightwing legal organization.
• Shocking, said no one.
• Since it was formed in 1994, Alliance Defending Freedom has been at the center of a nationwide effort to limit the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people, all in the name of Christianity.
• The Southern Poverty Law Center has termed it an “anti-LGBTQ hate group”. GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, says it is “a danger to every American who values their freedoms.”.
• Through “model legislation” and lawsuits filed across the country, ADF aims to overturn same-sex marriage, enact a total ban on abortion, and strip away the already minimal rights that trans people are afforded in the US.
• Stopping ADF and its leader Kristen Waggoner should be a goal for every American who loves freedom. Now you know.
• And now, The Weather: “Andy In Stereo” by Hand Habits
• Dozens were injured or killed and widespread damage occurred in overnight storms in Mississippi. More severe weather in the South is expected today. Heads up, folks.
• Also, if it’s not tornadoes and flooding and hail, it’s the heat. Friends in Texas are in the midst of a horrible heat wave go temps in the 110s.
• Global climate change, both natural and human-caused, is real, and will affect you for the rest of your life.
• Meanwhile here in the west, a series of earthquakes has left me feeling a bit anxious. A 6.4 hit Baja California yesterday, and a. pair of good-sized jolts rocked Northern Cal this weekend as well.
• Also…
• In “I’m Not Trying To Freak You Out” news, be careful if you visit the Grand Canyon. I mean, seriously.
• A man fell 4,000 feet to his death from a popular tourist attraction walkway there last week. That sounds like a truly awful way to die.
• However, the odds of dying at the Grand Canyon are astronomically low: 1 death per 1.8 million visitors. In 2022, 11 fatalities occurred at the Grand Canyon. This number is slightly below the average of 12 deaths occurring every year at the natural wonder of the world that attracts around five million visitors a year. Only two to three of those yearly deaths are from accidental falls over the rim.
• I guess I’m saying, gravity is merciless and don’t put yourself in a situation where it’s going to be your demise.
• From the Sports Desk… congrats to Wyndham Clark, who won his first major golf tournament at the U.S. Open this weekend. He shot 64/67/69/70 for a -10 overall.
• From the “You Probably Shouldn’t Open Your Mouth About Sports” Desk… Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently launched his 2024 presidential bid, tweeted that LA’s Dodger Stadium was "virtually empty” for Friday’s Pride Night event.
• Fact check: Friday's game surpassed the team's average attendance of 47,800 people. Their paid attendance on Friday night was 49,074.
• I know a lying politician isn’t really news. But keep it in mind that a guy like DeSantis will tell any baldfaced lie, even one that’s easily proven wrong, to push his agenda. It’s the GOP playbook. Just lie and deny.
• I think people are smarter than they think.
• Today in history… English colonists leave Roanoke Island, after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in North America. (1586). The first officially recorded organized baseball game is played, with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the Knickerbockers 23–1 (1846). The U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in United States territories, nullifying Dred Scott v. Sandford (1862). Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Galveston, TX are officially informed of their freedom (1865). The first Father’s Day is celebrated in Spokane, WA (1910). The Communications Act of 1934 establishes the United States' Federal Communications Commission, the FCC (1934). The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL merge for one season due to player shortages caused by World War II (1943). The first NASCAR race was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1960). The Civil Rights Act survives an 83-day filibuster in the Senate and passes 73–27 (1964). Garfield's first comic strip, originally published locally as Jon in 1976, goes into nationwide syndication (1978). WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents (2012). 
• June 19 is the birthday of mathematician/physicist Blaise Pascal (1623), comedian Moe Howard (1897), bandleader Guy Lombardo (1902), MLB player Lou Gehrig (1903), SCOTUS justice Abe Fortas (1910), actress Nancy Marchand (1928), actress Gena Rowlands (1930), novelist Salman Rushdie (1947), singer-songwriter Nick Drake (1948), actress Phylicia Rashad (1948), singer-songwriter Ann Wilson (1950), actress Kathleen Turner (1954), singer/dancer Paula Abdul (1962), TV host Laura Ingraham (1963), UK prime minister Boris Johnson (1964), guitarist Brian “Head” Welch (1970), NBA player Dirk Nowitzki (1978), actress Zoe Saldana (1978), rapper Macklemore (1983), and pitcher Jacob deGrom (1988).

There’s always more news. Always, always, always. But for now, I have things to do. Happy Juneteenth to all who celebrate it! Enjoy your day.