Fox 19 on Nov. 9 apologized for an ignorant comment made by news anchor Tricia Macke on her personal Facebook page last month. Macke’s comment, “Rachel Maddow is such an angry young man,” sparked outrage among gay-rights organizations for its depiction of MSNBC’s openly gay broadcaster as a man. According to screen shots published by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Macke appeared to have missed the point when called out by a commenter for targeting Maddow’s sexual identity. Macke wrote, “you are right… I should have said antagonistic” but then told another commenter, “I knew what I was saying.” GLAAD wrote: “Tricia Macke undoubtedly tried to insult Maddow because of their political differences, rather than simply because Maddow is gay — but her comments went much further than insulting Maddow's political leanings, and took issue with Maddow's gender, revealing an anti-gay (or at least anti-gender-nonconforming?) bias underlying her political beliefs.” Fox 19 posted its apology along with a statement from Macke describing her comment as insensitive and inappropriate. Macke wrote: “I apologize to Ms. Maddow and any others who may have been offended by my comments, as they do not reflect my firm beliefs in individual and equal rights, and they certainly do not represent the opinions or position of my employer WXIX-TV." Maddow, an openly gay MSNBC political analyst, is one of America’s highest-profile news personalities. She’s also a Stanford graduate with a doctorate in political science from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

A downtown nightclub might not be the most likely spot to find a pop-up gallery, local visual artists, independent filmmakers and other creatives, but that’s exactly what’s happening Friday at Luxe. RAWartists Cincinnati is a local chapter of RAW:natural born artists which describes itself as an “international independent arts organization that hand-selects and spotlights independent creatives in visual art, film, fashion, music, hair and makeup artistry, photography, models and performing art.” The organization gives artists in various cities the tools to produce and showcase their work to the public. RAW hosts RADIATE, an event featuring a fashion show, short film screening, art gallery and music from Sweet Ray Laurel and Honey Combs. The artravaganza begins at 8 p.m., followed by an after-party of drinks and dancing at midnight. Tickets are $15 at the door. A belly dancing convention in Cincinnati? Yup, that’s happening this weekend. Sharonville Convention Center fills with dancers, music, Middle Eastern culture and lots of exposed tummies Friday-Sunday. Visitors can attend for belly dancing performances as well as workshops. Work those hips! This weekend brings the Midwest Black Family Reunion to town for the 24th year. Celebrate African-American culture with Gospel and R&B music, lots of food, guest speakers, a parade and more, Friday-Saturday at Sawyer Point. The City Flea takes over Washington Park Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. You never know what kinds of treasures you’ll find at this urban flea market: from vintage boots and handmade rings to terrariums and refurbished furniture. Re-fuel with noms from Fireside Pizza, Queen City Cookies, Taste of Belgium and more tasty local vendors. Pull your rainbow spandex bodysuit out of storage, because it’s time for another local LGBTQ celebration! Northside Pride Festival kicks off at 5 p.m. Saturday and continues ‘til closing time for the neighborhood’s bars and businesses. Start off with a party at Hoffner Park where there will be free grill-out grub, Vitamin Water, HIV testing, music and more, then make your way through Northside hot spots for more fun and specials all night long. Participating businesses include The Serpent, Junkers Tavern, Chameleon and Northside Tavern, which hosts a Chicken Lays An Egg fashion show 5-7 p.m. DJs and drag queens for days! The Taft Museum highlights animals in art this weekend with the Third Sunday Funday series for families. Kids can look for animals in works throughout the museum, make animal puppets, get some wildlife face painting and even meet some critters from the Cincinnati Zoo. The free event runs 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

Even the Muppets disapprove of Chick-Fil-A’s anti-gay policies. On Friday, the Jim Henson Company released a statement on Facebook claiming the company known for the Muppets would no longer be partnering up with Chick-Fil-A. “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” the company said in the statement. The statement went on to announce the company, under the order of CEO Lisa Henson, will be donating payments received from Chick-Fil-A to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), one of the biggest pro-gay-rights groups in the country. The news comes after a week of scrutiny following company president Dan Cathy’s declaration that he is against gay marriage. Politicians piled on to the news. Same-sex marriage opponents praised the company for its stance, while prominent Democrats and Republicans criticized Chick-Fil-A for the position. The company has long held an anti-gay stance. It has publicly supported and funded anti-gay groups, and the company was reported to be co-sponsoring a marriage conference with the anti-gay group Pennsylvania Family Institute last year. Chick-Fil-A has also been known for promoting fundamentalist Christian values. Founder Samuel Truett Cathy has identified himself as a staunch Christian, and the chain’s restaurants close on Sundays to respect Christian values. Even the company’s corporate purpose statement invokes religion: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us." The company has also been criticized for religious discrimination in the past. In 2002, a former Muslim employee sued the company because he claimed he was fired for not participating in a group prayer to Jesus Christ. The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

University of Cincinnati and Miami University student organizations will hold rallies at 5 p.m. Thursday in response to the March 24 assault of two students — one from UC and one from Miami — on the Miami campus. The events are meant to show support for GLBT people and call for an end to hate crimes. Miami University student Michael Bustin and a male friend were reportedly walking home from a drag show when someone yelled a derogatory slur at them. Bustin's friend was then attacked by four men who also reportedly assaulted Bustin when he tried to help, according to WLWT-TV. The two men had been holding hands during their walk home. Miami University sent a memo to the community and reached out to Bustin soon afterward. The rallies’ Facebook page says the other man was a University of Cincinnati student. The police have released a sketch of one of the accused attackers and are seeking the public’s help to find those involved. Both events will begin at 5 p.m. Those attending the Miami rally are encouraged to wear "Love is the New Label/White Out Hate" shirts or just white T-shirts or tops. After the rally, participants will line up holding hands in a demonstration of solidarity and to show that “no one deserves to be hurt for showing affection.” More from the rallies’ Facebook page: “We, the students of the LGBTQA alliances of Miami University and University of Cincinnati, stand united in our demand for a safe places to live, learn, work and show affection. It is unacceptable for anyone to be assaulted, but it is especially repulsive for the victims to be targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other classification.” The Miami rally will take place at the Phi Delt Gates on the Miami Campus, while the UC event will take place at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Clifton Avenue. The events are being organized by Miami Spectrum and UC Alliance. For more information, click here or search on Facebook: “Emergency Action: Miami & UC Unite Against Hate!"

In a long-awaited decision, a federal appeals court today declared that California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that a lower court judge correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedents when he declared in 2010 that Proposition 8 was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian people.

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The military’s infamous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy has been repealed for over four months, outlawing exclusion and discrimination against LGBT populations in the military service. When seeking housing, however, LGBT populations across the country still face arbitrary prejudices and inequality. That’s why on Jan. 28, Shaun Donovan, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, spoke to nearly 3,000 LGBT rights advocates at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change in Baltimore, Md., announcing a new policy to combat discrimination against LGBT people in federally supported housing programs.

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Mitt Romney won a sizable victory in Tuesday’s Florida primary, capturing 46.4 percent of the vote to Newt Gingrich’s 31.9 percent. In all, Romney got 240,548 more votes than the ex-House Speaker.“The size and breadth of Romney’s win provide the first real evidence that he has the potential to coalesce a party that has been deeply split …” wrote Karen Tumulty in an analysis for The Washington Post.

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One of the judges overseeing the Occupy Cincinnati trespassing cases says there's nothing in the city charter that gives the Park Board the authority to dole out misdemeanors. Several other municipal court judges either declined comment or said they would consider the point Stockdale makes in his letter if it is raised during the hearings.Attorneys for the protesters said they intend to do just that. They already have asked judges to dismiss the charges on grounds the park board rules violate the free speech rights of the protesters.They say Stockdale’s letter raises another weakness in the city’s case against their clients. “Whether it’s a violation of the First Amendment or an over-reach by the park board, they are clearly relevant questions,” said Rob Linneman, an attorney for the protesters.

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Do you enjoy looking at slideshows of rich people? Here's a good one, themed “Most Corrupt Members of Congress.” Guess which local Eastside representative made the list … Here's a hint: Jean Schmidt.

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