Author: Randy Slovacek

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Los Angeles: Mother Charged In Murder Of Her 10-Year-Old Son

Heather Barron, the mother of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, was arrested Friday and charged in the murder of the boy, who authorities say was the victim of child abuse.
Anthony Avalos 

Heather Barron, the mother of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, was arrested Friday and charged in the murder of the boy, who authorities say was the victim of child abuse.

Both the mother and boyfriend are accused of torturing the boy to death possibly in connection to his recently coming out saying “I like boys.”

From The LA Times:

Heather Barron, 28, was arrested Friday morning and charged with murder, child abuse resulting in death, and torture, said Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Barron’s boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, 32, was also arrested earlier this week. He was charged Friday with murder, torture and assault on a child causing death, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Barron appeared in a Lancaster courtroom Friday, but her arraignment was postponed to Monday. Leiva, who is being treated for a laceration to his neck, will be arraigned after he is medically cleared. If convicted as charged, Barron faces a possible maximum sentence of 22 years to life in prison, and Leiva faces 32 years to life.

Anthony was found with severe injuries at his family’s apartment in Lancaster on June 20 and died the following day. Investigators classified the death as suspicious, and county officials removed other children from the home as the investigation continued.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday called for a comprehensive review of Anthony’s case history and shortcomings in the child welfare and law enforcement systems that may have contributed to his death.

Before he died, young Anthony had been beaten, starved, forced to eat food from garbage and locked in tiny spaces. Anthony has six siblings who were apparently subjected to the same horrors.

May Barron and Leiva rot in prison for the rest of their miserable lives.

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He Likes To Sing In The Shower

Porn star Dario Beck likes to sing in the shower
(image via Instagram)

Boy Culture discovered this bit of shower silliness and it seems perfect for a Saturday post.

The singer’s name is Dario Beck and it would seem his comfort in front of a camera (almost naked) probably comes from the fact that he’s a porn performer from Spain.

And yes, that is his real voice.

The clip’s a bit goofy, but I think it works in overall cheekiness.

A few more facts about the Spaniard:

• He’s a German/Spanish mix who speaks four languages: Spanish, German, Italian and English’

• Loves good coffee, and that’s all he has during the day until about 4PM

• Avid reader with over 4,000 books in his home library

• Served in the army

• Studied law, economics and art at university

But on to the music 🙂

(h/t Boy Culture)

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Out Music: Keiynan Lonsdale “Preach”

Keiynan Lonsdale in “Preach”

We were not ready for Keiynan Lonsdale’s new single, “Preach.”

The Australian Love, Simon star dropped “Preach” at midnight on June 29, and it is a wild, magical, musical gay ride.

The music video begins with Lonsdale in a dark, lonely bar but soon drops off a cliff into nature where the shirtless hottie shows off his flair for fashion and flashy dance moves.

Eventually, it’s revealed he has super-gay super powers – blasting balls of rainbow fire into the sky.

According to Lonsdale, the song and video are a meditative fantasy about transcending ourselves.

“I wrote ‘Preach’ over a year ago.. but I didn’t know what it actually meant, or its significance to my life, until several months later,” Lonsdale told TheFader. “Both the song and the video have become like my mirrors, so everything good & bad that comes with one’s own reflection has of course presented itself through this project haha.”

Check out the trippy video below.

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News Round-Up: June 29, 2018

Bremen Menelli

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Bremen Menelli is a lean, mean, coffee-drinking machine. #HappyFriday!

• Did you know that song you line danced to in elementary school gym class, at weddings, graduations and Bar Mitzvahs is about a vibrator?

• Oreos goes for the good stuff for Pride Month:

• Sweden is set to have the first LGBT-certified sports stadium where all staff at the 7,200-capacity multi-use arena will be trained in LGBT issues in order to create a welcoming environment. Additionally, all toilets and dressing rooms will be adapted so that there are accessible options for all athletes and spectators, regardless of their gender identity, including gender neutral toilets where possible.

• The Flash star Keiynan Lonsdale got trolled on Twitter recently for wearing a dress to the MTV Awards earlier this month where he snagged the award for “Best Kiss” for his liplock with Nick Robinson in Love, Simon.

But Lonsdale handled the homophobe with style, and shared one of the benefits of his sartorial choices: “Allows the balls to breathe and therefore will chill ya out.”

• What to watch this weekend? The critics are raving about the new Hugh Grant BBC mini-series, A Very English Scandal. Starting today the 3-part series is available on Amazon, and according to the reviews, it’s fantastic.

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Out Music: Shea Diamond “American Pie”

Trans recording artist Shea Diamond uses her own personal story to empower herself as a woman and artist, encouraging others to live in their full truths as well. Check out her new single, ‘American Pie’ from her upcoming EP, Seen It All.

“’American Pie’ is my hope for a slice of the American Dream: I want love and I don’t need money!” says Shea. “I want things to change since we’ve been stuck thinking in an antique mindset and it’s time for something new. Who’s going to say what I want is not a need? We all can have a slice of American Pie.”

Unapologetic and disarmingly honest, Shea’s ability to live out loud coupled with a deep and rich talent is changing the musical landscape.

But don’t take my word for it:

“12 LGBTQ Artists To Discover During Pride Month” – Billboard

“Shea is a glorious talent, a legend in the making, a soldier who has fought hard to be where she is today” – OUT Magazine

“Shea Diamond cannot be denied”— Refinery 29

“Shea Diamond is already an icon” – PAPER Magazine

“Keisha Complexion” is a sultry celebration of self, sung in Diamond’s notably rich voice. – TIME Magazine

Take a listen to ‘American Pie’ below.

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Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds Wants To Change How Mormon Church Sees LGBTQ Youth

LGBTQ ally Dan Reynolds, of Imagine Dragons, wants the Mormon Church to rethink how it views LGBTQ youth
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons

How much do we love Grammy Award-winning Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds?

Raised Mormon, Reynolds has spent years fighting for greater LGBTQ acceptance within the church.

Growing up, the native Utahn had a middle school friend who was Mormon and gay, and he watched how the struggles of trying to resolve the two worlds wore on his friend. Reynolds also says he’s lost high school friends to suicide.

Determined to affect change, he and former Mormon rocker Tyler Glenn teamed up last year to create the annual music festival LoveLoud held in Salt Lake City which aims to raise money for LGBTQ charities and organizations like The Trevor Project and the Tegan and Sara Foundation.

This year the event takes place on July 28.

“I think the LoveLoud stage is the most important stage I will ever stand on,” the 30-year-old recently told Queerty. “The festival has helped facilitate vital conversation about what it means to truly love and accept our LGBTQ youth.”

New documentary 'Believer' follows Dan Reynolds mission to perpetuate change within the Mormon Church and how it treats LGBTQ youth

The new documentary, Believer, follows Reynolds as he launched the music festival last year and also explores how the Mormon Church treats its LGBTQ members.

“I hope people understand the importance of fully accepting and loving our LGBTQ youth,” says Reynolds about the film. “I hope people are able to watch and feel the harsh realities that our LGBTQ youth are facing in faith-based communities. I hope it perpetuates change.”

Watch the trailer for Believer below and check out info for LoveLoud Music Festival here.

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Pro Soccer Player Collin Martin Comes Out As Gay

Minnesota United’s Collin Martin

Minnesota United FC midfielder Collin Martin came out this morning in a tweet on his personal Twitter account.

“Tonight my team, @mnufc , is having their Pride night. It’s an important night for me — I’ll be announcing that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer. #soccerforall,” wrote the 23-year-old just hours before Minnesota United hosts their Pride Night playing FC Dallas.

Attached to his tweet was a more detailed statement which read:

“I have been out as a gay man for many years to my family and friends, and this includes my teammates. I have played Major League Soccer for 6 seasons: 4 seasons with DC United and 2 seasons with Minnesota United. Today, I’m proud that my entire team and the management of Minnesota United know that I am gay. I have received only kindness and acceptance from everyone in Major League Soccer and that has made the decision to come out publicly that much easier.
“As we celebrate Pride night, I want to thank my teammates for their unconditional support for who I am. In light of my experience as a professional athlete, I want to take this moment to encourage others who play sports professionally or otherwise to have confidence that sport will welcome them wholeheartedly. June is Pride month, and I am proud to be playing for Pride, and to be playing as an out gay man.”

Pro soccer player Collin Martin of Minnesota United came out just hours before his team held its annual Pride Night match
Pro soccer player Collin Martin comes out as gay

Martin is now the second openly gay professional soccer player in MLS history following Robbie Rogers, who came out in 2013.

That same year, Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay professional basketball player. And in 2014, Michael Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams becoming the first openly gay football player to be drafted by an NFL team.

Rogers, Collins and Sam have retired from their sports, which means Martin is currently the only openly gay active player in any major pro sports league in the United States.

Don Garber, MLS commissioner, said in a statement, “We admire Collin’s courage, and are proud of him and of the support from the soccer community.”

Visibility is the key to acceptance, so here’s opening more pro athletes step up and come out.

Congratulations, Collin, on living your authentic life! #BeTrue.

His team followed up Collin’s announcement with a tweet of support with the hashtag #SoccerForAll:

And his old team tweeted their support as well:

And Robbie Rogers also tweeted his support:

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Out Country Hottie Covers “We Are The World”

Out country music artist Chase Sansing

With a shooting in Maryland today, and worries about the Supreme Court, now’s a good time for music that can lift us up.

Out country artist Chase Sansing has released a new music video to raise awareness of homelessness in Nashville.

The remake of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie’s mega-hit “We Are the World” was filmed throughout Music City by Sansing himself.

The new music video also features Nashville musicians Kelsey Malone, Rae Cecil and Justin Shaw trading verses similar to the original USA for Africa video released in 1985.

Justin Shaw, Chase Sansing, Kelsey Malone and Rae Cecil

“I chose to re-record ‘We Are the World’ because I wanted shine a light on the issue of homelessness in Nashville, but this is a problem seen around the country especially among LGBTQ youth,” said Sansing. “It seems like the problem keeps getting worse instead of getting better.”

According to a study by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, one in 30 youth ages 13 to 17 and one in 10 young adults ages 18 to 25 endure some form of homelessness in the U.S. each year.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth had a 120% increased risk of experiencing homelessness compared to youth who identified as heterosexual and cisgender. This often stems from a lack of acceptance that young people experience both in and outside of the home.

Chase Sansing recording “We Are The World”

“It’s impossible for me to sing something I don’t feel, which is why my videos usually have an emotional pull on them,” says the 25-year-old.

“Kelsey, Justin, Rae and I all agreed this is a very important issue we all believe in. If we all lend a hand, maybe we can help decrease the number of homeless LGBTQ youth in our country.”

I’ve previously written about Chase and his music here.

Watch the music video below.

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Maryland: Gunman Attacks & Kills At Least Four At Capital Gazette Newspaper

Just yesterday, Trump supporter and former senior editor for Breitbart, Milo Yiannopoulos said, “I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight.”

Today, a shooter guns down journalists in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting a shooting has occurred at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, a paper that is owned by The Baltimore Sun, according to police and Capital Gazette staff.

Anne Arundel County Sheriff says multiple fatalities have occurred, a suspect in custody and the building has been evacuated.

Phil Davis, a reporter for the Capital Gazette, shared the breaking story in a series of tweets:

As a result of the shooting in Maryland, New York City Police has sent extra protective forces to major media office buildings.

It’s worth noting that, on many occasions, Donald Trump has incited anger over the press to his followers. He’s tweeted in the past, “The FAKE NEWS media is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people. SICK!”

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InstaHunk Jack Mackenroth Takes A Break From HIV Activism

Jack Mackenroth and Ralph (image via Instagram)

In 2008, while competing as a contestant on the reality series Project Runway, Jack Mackenroth shared with the world his HIV-positive status.

And since then, Mackenroth has dedicated much of his time working with HIV/AIDS non-profits as an outspoken activist.

In a new interview, Mackenroth tells HIV PLUS, “I don’t mind being a poster boy for HIV.”

“I was very cognizant of what I was doing when I came out on national TV a decade ago, because the HIV conversation had virtually disappeared from mainstream television,” he adds.

But after ten years of non-stop activism, the popular InstaHunk says he is “moving away from the non-profit sector” because he needs a break.

“The issue with non-profit stuff is that you are overworked and underpaid,” Mackenroth explains. “Like teachers, people expect that we should basically volunteer our services because we are doing important work.”

“I’m getting really close to 50, and I can’t be hoofing it all the time. It’s [also] relatively thankless work. I’m not doing it for accolades, but everyone likes… to feel like something beneficial is coming from your job.”

Diagnosed with HIV at the age of 19 in 1990, Mackenroth didn’t plan for the future because he didn’t think he’d have one.

“I thought I was going to die at 25,” he told HIV. “My boyfriend died at 27. Until my mid-30s, I was like: ‘Why should I have a 401k?’ I wasn’t planning ahead. It’s been over the past decade, where I’m like, ‘I’m going to live. I need to plan for the future.’”

Now, years later, Mackenroth has gone back to university to obtain a degree in nursing, plus he’s recently launched an OnlyFans.com account in an effort to monetize his large Instagram fan base.

Even though he won’t be working in the non-profit arena, the hunk says he’ll never leave HIV activism completely. Thanks to social media, he admits, “I get two to three Instagram messages a day from someone in a foreign country who just found out [they’re HIV-positive].”

“I still respond to nearly everyone who reaches out,” he assures. “I’m always available to talk. I’m very accessible. [People can] message me on Twitter or Instagram.”

When talking about HIV, Mackenroth is big on promoting the message that undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last October that HIV-positive people whose viral loads are suppressed to the point that they are undetectable cannot transmit HIV to sexual partners.

Mackenroth says people who are newly diagnosed with HIV often feel like, “I can never have sex again. I’m going to [transmit to] my partner.”

The former Project Runway star is emphatic in his advice: “Get on your meds, get undetectable, and you — and everyone else — will be fine!”

I highly recommend Angels In America on Broadway. It reminds me how much of the AIDS plague I have blocked out of my mind. It brings back so many emotions. I’ve cried 4 times already in the first 2 hours. I was diagnosed with HIV in 1989—only years after this play is taking place. I’ve been positive for 29 years. Statistically I should be dead. My boyfriend died in 1996 and I sat at his hospital bed for 4 weeks while he withered away. I was 27. The AIDS crisis is far from over. EVERY DAY I get at least one message here from someone who is newly diagnosed. It may look better than it did in the 80’s but all over the world people still die of AIDS. Know your status. In my opinion if you are HIV negative and in a high risk group you should be on #PrEP. Also know that HIV+ folks who are undetectable CAN NOT transmit HIV. I think Angels In America should have a night that is free for HIV+ people. Many of us are coping with PTSD and/or still struggling and can not afford a $300 ticket. It would be a noble way to honor the people that the play is centered around and to remember those who have died. #activist #hiv #knowyourstatus #fuckstigma #angelsinamerica #uequalsu #undetectable #aidsisnotover @angelsbway #weareallangels #whatliftsyou
A post shared by Jack Mackenroth (@jackmackenroth) on Jun 13, 2018 at 1:18pm PDT