Boston Marathon Allows Male ‘Transgender’ Runners to Compete as Women

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By Life Site News. The annual Boston Marathon begins on Monday, April 16, but this year the event comes with a dose of transgender politics.

At least five men who openly identify as women are slated to compete next week, and will be recognized under their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex, the Associated Press reports.

“We take people at their word. We register people as they specify themselves to be,” Boston Athletic Association head Tom Grilk said. “Members of the LGBT community have had a lot to deal with over the years, and we’d rather not add to that burden.” He added that there was little debate over the decision within the organization.

The Boston Athletic Association clarified to NPR that while this is how the marathon will operate in practice, it has no written policy that specifically addresses transgendered runners.

“We don’t require that runners outline their gender identity history with us, so we can’t say for certain how many trans runners are in our race,” it said in a statement. “We do know that we have had several transgender runners in the past.” (Read more from “Boston Marathon Allows Male ‘Transgender’ Runners to Compete as Women” HERE)

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Boston, Other Marathons Say Trans Men Can Compete as Women

By AP. . .Several other major marathons said they have no official policies but are taking a similar approach to Boston. Organizers of the Chicago, New York City, London and Los Angeles marathons all said they honor the gender that runners submit during sign-ups.

“We want to be inclusive and sensitive to all of our participants,” said Carey Pinkowski, Chicago Marathon executive race director. “At this point, we don’t feel that we need to require legal or medical records or anything along those lines.” . . .

In elite competition, debate has mostly focused on transgender “women”, who typically require surgery or medication to lower their testosterone levels. Olympic officials issued new rules in 2016 saying trans women can compete if their testosterone levels stay beneath a certain limit, and many professional races now follow similar rules. (Read more from “Boston, Other Marathons Say Trans Women Can Compete as Women” HERE)

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Teacher Uses School Walkout to Have Sex With Student

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By The New York Post. A married teacher in Oklahoma was arrested for allegedly having sex with a student amid the statewide teacher walkout.

Keri Hoffman, 35, admitted to police Saturday that she had sex with a 15-year-old student before and after they attended a massive teacher rally protesting pay cuts at the state Capitol, news station KWSO reported.

Hoffman, a Clinton Middle School teacher, and the teen reportedly became sexually involved on the last day of classes before the strike began April 2, according to news station KFOR.

She went with her husband Saturday to the police department, where she allegedly confessed to having sex with the student on numerous occasions. (Read more from “Teacher Uses School Walkout to Have Sex With Student” HERE)

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Teacher Drove Student to Oklahoma Walkout. She Had Sex With Him Before and After, Cops Say

By The Wichita Eagle. . .Keri Hoffman, a 35-year-old middle school algebra teacher, told police she’d had sex multiple times with a 15-year-old student — including during the ongoing teacher walkout in the state.

Hoffman was charged with two counts of second degree rape and one count of facilitating sexual conduct or communicating with a minor by use of technology, authorities said in a news release. She was booked at Custer County Jail, with bond set at $30,000.

Hoffman told police she’d taken a group of students, including the 15-year-old victim, to the state Capitol in Oklahoma City to take part in the protest.

“Hoffman picked him up first and dropped him off last, having sex with him each time,” police said. (Read more from “Teacher Drove Student to Oklahoma Walkout. She Had Sex With Him Before and After, Cops Say” HERE)

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SCAM: Biggest Black Lives Matter Page on Facebook Is Fake

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By The Daily Wire. The biggest page on Facebook purporting to be part of the Black Lives Matter movement had alleged ties to a middle-aged white Australian man; some of the money it raised went to Australian bank accounts. According to CNN, even when Facebook was alerted to the issue, months went by before action was taken, and that was only after CNN spent a week sending emails and making phone calls to Facebook to tell them they were going to run the story.

The page was titled “Black Lives Matter,” and had roughly 700,000 followers on Facebook, more than double the official Black Lives Matter page. CNN reports, “It was tied to online fundraisers that brought in at least $100,000 that supposedly went to Black Lives Matter causes in the U.S. At least some of the money, however, was transferred to Australian bank accounts.” . . .

The creators of the page supervised a Facebook Group titled “Black Lives Matter” which had almost 40,000 members. The page frequently linked to websites tied to Ian Mackay, a National Union of Workers official . . .

Last week, CNN informed Facebook, but when CNN delineated how the page’s linked to fundraising accounts suspended on other platforms, Facebook responded that it had found the page “didn’t show anything that violated our Community Standards.” But by Monday morning, Facebook disabled the BP Parker profile for violating its community standards, which in turn disabled the page, according to a company spokesperson. (Read more from “SCAM: Biggest Black Lives Matter Page on Facebook Is Fake” HERE)

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Facebook Had Been Alerted Numerous Times About Fake Activist Page

By CNN. Fundraising campaigns associated with the Facebook page were suspended by PayPal and Patreon after CNN contacted each of the companies for comment. Donorbox and Classy had already removed the campaigns.

The discovery raises new questions about the integrity of Facebook’s platform and the content hosted there. In the run-up to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress this week, Facebook has announced plans to make the people running large pages verify their identity and location. But it’s not clear that the change would affect this page: Facebook has not said what information about page owners it will disclose to the public — and, presented with CNN’s findings, Facebook initially said the page didn’t violate its “Community Standards.”

Only after almost a week of emails and calls between CNN and Facebook about this story did Facebook suspend the page, and then only because it had suspended a user account that administrated the page. (Read more form “The Biggest Black Lives Matter Page on Facebook Is Fake” HERE)

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Harvard Accused of Waging a War on Christianity… and It Doesn’t Look Good

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Two months ago Harvard University suspended a Christian student group for having asked one of its leaders to step down after the group learned that she was involved in a homosexual relationship with another female student.

One month later the Undergraduate Council defunded the Harvard College Faith and Action group entirely, thus effectively putting it out of commission.

Speaking Sunday on Fox News, religious commentator Sohrab Ahmari warned that the 382-year-old institution’s actions are “part of a bigger pattern” being seen throughout the country.

“It’s part of a bigger pattern where you begin to question whether we really still live in a free society,” he said. “In many areas of life, particularly in culture, entertainment, journalism and academia especially … people feel there is this pervasive, low-grade pressure that you have to conform your opinions to the latest liberal orthodoxy.” . . .

Late last year the members of a student group at Georgetown University that champions traditional marriage were forced by the school to publicly defend their views after LGBT students accused them of promoting hatred. (Read more from “Harvard Accused of Waging a War on Christianity … and It Doesn’t Look Good” HERE)

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Student Government Impeaches Student for Conservative Views

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By Campus Reform. The University of Illinois Student Government voted Wednesday to impeach a conservative student based primarily on his political activity.

Andrew Minik, president of Turning Point USA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was impeached from his position as Chair of the Committee of Diversity and Inclusion (CoDI) after enduring a hearing that included accusations of using his own minority status to marginalize other minorities.

The articles of impeachment specifically cited Minik’s role in organizing a memorial wall for victims of illegal immigration among his offenses, alongside accusations that he has been delinquent in some of the paperwork required of the CoDI Chair.

The complaints against Minik, brought forth to the student assembly by President-elect Walter Lindwall and Vice President-elect Alice Zheng, accuse him of failing to “maintain a respectful decorum of fellow members of the campus community, maintain a welcoming environment for any individual regardless of opinion or background, and work consistently for the betterment of the organization, the student body, and the campus as a whole,” according to the ISG agenda docket for articles of impeachment.

The document further alleges that Minik “has, on multiple occasions, failed to distribute packets, notify the cancellation of committees, and has acted with bias in his role as chair in several instances,” as well as that he “failed to submit a statistical report of the diversity of the government by the February deadline.” (Read more from “Student Government Impeaches Student for Conservative Views” HERE)

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Protesters Converge on UI Quad as Student Conservatives Build ‘Wall’

By The News-Gazette. Joel Valdez, coordinator for the UI chapter of Turning Point USA, said the goal of the wall was to start a conversation.

“We’re here to highlight the people that have been killed by illegal immigrants,” said Valdez, 19. “These victims are often overlooked and ignored. We’re here to tell people their story.”

Since their protest is a silent one, protesters were hesitant to speak with The News-Gazette.

Just next to the wall, the Latina sorority Kappa Delta Chi held a fundraising event, selling nachos, horchata and Flaming Hot Cheetos.

Jessica Diaz, a Kappa Delta Chi sister and UI sophomore, said she admired the protesters’ commitment. She added that she was happy to see non-Hispanics joining the ranks of protesters. (Read more from “Protesters Converge on UI Quad as Student Conservatives Build ‘Wall'” HERE)

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Air Force Colonel Who Refused to ‘Appreciate’ Gay Man’s Spouse Wins Appeal

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Decorated Air Force combat pilot Col. Leland Bohannon, who was stripped of his command and denied promotion opportunity for refusing to sign a certificate of appreciation for a retiree’s gay spouse, has won an appeal affirming religious liberty.

Bohannon did not sign the “optional, unofficial” spouse appreciation letter because he has a deeply-held religious objection to gay marriage and did not want to appear to endorse an immoral union – so, he had a superior, a two-star general, sign it.

But, that wasn’t good enough for the indignant gay retiree, who filed a complaint against Bohannon, “Stars and Stripes” reports:

“When the retiring master sergeant found out that Bohannon did not personally sign the spouse certificate, he filed an Equal Opportunity complaint, alleging the colonel unlawfully discriminated against him on the basis of his sexual orientation.”

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“The Air Force substantiated the airman’s allegations, and Bohannon was subsequently removed from command and for consideration for promotion. He appealed the decision in October.”

(Read more from “Air Force Colonel Who Refused to ‘Appreciate’ Gay Man’s Spouse Wins Appeal” HERE)

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Male Democrat Accused of Using Senate’s Women’s Restroom

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State police in Colorado have reportedly posted signage and changed the access code to a previously unmarked women’s restroom inside the state Capitol building in Denver, based on complaints that a male Democratic state senator had frequently been using the room, according to media reports.

The lawmaker in question, state Sen. Daniel Kagan, disputes the accusation, saying he used the women’s restroom just one time, by mistake, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

But in March, state Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik filed a workplace sexual harassment complaint against Kagan, contending he had used the women’s restroom “multiple times.”

She claimed, in an interview with KUNC radio, she personally encountered Kagan in the restroom and asked “What are you doing in here?,” and claims other women who work in the Capitol have had “similar experiences.” . . .

The report mentions that Kagan was among a group of Democratic senators who called for the ouster of Republican state Sen. Randy Baumgardner, who had been accused of groping an aide in 2016.

(Read more from “Male Democrat Accused of Using Senate’s Women’s Restroom” HERE)

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Councilwoman Triggered by Teen’s TRUMP Shirt, Faces Charge for Berating Group of ‘Scared’ Girls

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By Bizpac Review. A Texas councilwoman is facing misdemeanor charges after a MAGA shirt sparked an anti-Trump outburst.

West University Place Councilwoman Kellye Burke was accused of yelling obscenities Saturday at a group of teenage girls over a Trump T-shirt, KPRC2 reported.

Investigators at the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office filed a “class C misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge” against Burke, a volunteer for @MomsDemand.

The girls, who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation, were confronted by the councilwoman while they waited on line to buy cookies at a local shop, according to KPRC2.

“A tall, short-haired blond woman came up to them and screamed, ‘Grab em by the (expletive) girls!’” the father of one of the girls said, adding that the teens tried to laugh off the incident at first. (Read more from “Councilwoman Triggered by Teen’s TRUMP Shirt, Faces Charge for Berating Group of ‘Scared’ Girls” HERE)

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West U Councilwoman Accused of Yelling Obscenities at Teen Wearing Trump Shirt Releases Statement

By Click 2 Houston. Investigators at the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office on Wednesday filed a disorderly conduct charge against West University Place Councilwoman Kellye Burke, after accusations that she berated a group of teenage girls over a Trump T-shirt . . .

The father said the girls left without responding to the woman. He said one of the girls said she noticed that Burke had taken a picture of her.

“They were scared,” the father said. “They were absolutely scared. My little girl essentially wanted to know if this woman was going to hurt her.” . . .

He said Burke reached out to his wife, and met with and apologized to both of them.

“We accepted her apology,” the father said. “I would be just as angry if any parent said this to my child but as an elected official I’ll let her voters handle this matter. (Read more from “West U Councilwoman Accused of Yelling Obscenities at Teen Wearing Trump Shirt Releases Statement” HERE)

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Religion Prof Thinks Believing in God Is Illogical and Immoral

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A Wake Forest University religion professor thinks it is not just illogical to believe in God, but also immoral, according to a Wednesday report.

Dr. Jarrod Whitaker specializes in South Asian religions at the North Carolina school and also allegedly asserted that belief in an objective truth “is the most tremendous evil that is responsible for all the great suffering in the world,” reported The Wake Forest Review.

The professor would perpetually “explain why Christian theology is problematic, racist, sexist, imperialist, and fundamentally evil,” Whitaker’s Catholic student John told the Review, who kept his identity concealed. “His point was specifically that Christianity is in a position of power, everything came down to who is in a position of power and how we can problematize that.”

“His position was that it was not only illogical to believe in God,” continued John. “He said that to believe in God is one of the most immoral things you can do, and to believe there is an objective Truth is the most tremendous evil that is responsible for all the great suffering in the world.”

The student said that when he refuted the professor’s arguments after class, the conversation became “so heated” that another professor stepped into the classroom to ensure there were no problems. (Read more from “Religion Prof Thinks Believing in God Is Illogical and Immoral” HERE)

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Conservative Writer FIRED for Endorsing Death Penalty for Abortion

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The Atlantic has fired conservative writer Kevin Williamson after a past episode of his podcast resurfaced in which he called for women who have abortions to face the death penalty.

The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg made the announcement to staff in a memo Thursday, according to multiple media reports.

Williamson’s hiring last month had already drawn scrutiny over past tweets in which he stated that “the law should treat abortion like any other homicide” and that for punishment, “I have hanging more in mind.” Those tweets have since been deleted.

“The language he used in this podcast — and in my conversations with him in recent days — made it clear that the original tweet did, in fact, represent his carefully considered views,” Goldberg wrote in the memo.

“The tweet was not merely an impulsive, decontextualized, heat-of-the-moment post, as Kevin had explained it. Furthermore, the language used in the podcast was callous and violent. This runs contrary to The Atlantic’s tradition of respectful, well-reasoned debate, and to the values of our workplace.” (Read more from “Conservative Writer FIRED for Endorsing Death Penalty for Abortion” HERE)

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