Jeffrey Tambor

5 LGBTQ things you need to know today, Feb. 16

1. Gordon Giampietro, one of President Trump’s federal court nominees, has made disparaging comments about same-sex relationships and parenting, according to a new BuzzFeed News report. In a radio interview recorded a month after the 2015 Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage rights nationwide, Giampietro said, “No one would disagree with the fact that children, all the social science research shows this, are best raised by a man and a woman. This is natural, this is the truth, and it’s irrefutable. And so I think it has to be articulated in a way which isn’t dismissive of those troubled relationships, but it is reaffirming of the truth of marriage.”

2. Neil Rafferty, an openly gay Marine, has filed paperwork to run for the House of Representatives in Alabama House District 54, he announced on Facebook. Rafferty, the Project Director at Birmingham AIDS Outreach, is a Democrat running for the seat being vacated by Alabama’s first lesbian legislator, Patricia Todd, who decided last month not to run for reelection. If elected, Rafferty will be the state’s first openly gay male legislator.

3. Jeffrey Tambor has been officially fired from the Amazon show “Transparent” now that producers have concluded their investigation into sexual harassment claims made by Tambor’s transgender cast mates. “I have great respect and admiration for Van Barnes and Trace Lysette, whose courage in speaking out about their experience on ‘Transparent’ is an example of the leadership this moment in our culture requires,” show creator Jill Soloway said Thursday in a statement. “We are grateful to the many trans people who have supported our vision for ‘Transparent’ since its inception and remain heartbroken about the pain and mistrust their experience has generated in our community. We are taking definitive action to ensure our workplace respects the safety and dignity of every individual, and are taking steps to heal as a family.”

4. Out Cantonese pop star and activist Denise Ho, one of CantoPop’s most popular performers, has been denied a permit to appear in Malaysia for a scheduled April concert because she “is an active supporter of the LGBT community.” Homosexual activity is illegal in Malaysia under both secular and religious laws.

5. VIDEO OF THE DAY: Out CNN anchor Don Lemon has a few choice words to share with those who say it’s not the right time to talk about gun violence in America.