Author: Randy Slovacek

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Vanessa Williams honored as “Icon of Style”

Last night I attended a reunion of several of my Syracuse University classmates at the College of Visual and Performing Arts Gala 2011 to honor Vanessa Williams as this year’s “Icon of Style.”

The fantastic event featured a fashion show of the top collections from the fashion design program’s Class of 2011: Hannah Slocum, Syreeta Chantal Herbert, Torrey Hancock, LaTimberly Simone Johnson, Marteal Boniello, Sara Louise Coccioletti, Naomi S. Tilewick, Andrea McInnes, Jocelyn Tratta, Leilani Maldonado, Morgan Julia Bisignano and Dayna Shay Teitelbaum. I tried to take some photos of the terrific designs but a runway photog I’m not.

This was the first time since I left college I had seen a group of my classmates and we had an amazing time catching up over the evening. It was fantastic to see Gary, Tim, Mandy, Meri, Diane and Vanessa all together again.  Thanks to Vanessa for reaching out and getting us together. Let’s do it again next year!

With Vanessa 
Vanessa’s fabulous Jimmy Choo’s

Classmates: me, Meridith Struhl Nasjletti, Gary Jaffe, Vanessa Williams, Tim Thayer, Madeline Zeiberg and Diane Sims

The group!

Vanessa Williams accepting her “Icon of Style Award”

At the end of the evening – one more hug before we go
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New Gallup Poll: 53% support marriage equality

New Gallup Poll shows 53% of Americans support full marriage equality. A 9 point jump in Gallup’s polling.

Another poll released Thursday by the Public Religion Research Institute found 51% supported marriage equality.

The trend has been reflected in other polls recently: a March Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 53% said gay marriage should be legal and in April, a CNN/Opinion Research Corp poll said 51% of Americans think marriages between gays and lesbians should be recognized as legal and come with the same rights as heterosexual unions.

Forward kids. Slowly but surely. Forward.

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ESPN’s Jared Max comes out on the air

After years of reading news at WCBS 880 AM, Jared Max made at some at ESPN Radio this morning.

Two weeks into his new gig as early-morning host at 1050 AM, Max announced he was gay at the close of Thursday’s show.

“Are we ready to get our sports information from someone who is gay?” Max said. “Well, we are about to find out. For the last 16 years, I’ve been living a free life among my close friends and family and I’ve hidden behind what is a gargantuan-sized secret here in the sports’ world.

“I am gay.”

Max led up to the revelation by talking about Suns executive Rick Welts and former Villanova basketball star Will Sheridan, both of whom have come out of the closet this week. Max would later thank Charles Barkley, who said he has played with gay men in his NBA career and did not see any problem with it.

But Max said he believes that not just any current player can come out and say he’s gay.

“It would have to be a player of superstar status, not just a star, but a superstar to sway the momentum,” Max, 37, said. “Truth is, the world I grew up in and you did, was not ready for this. But today’s kids — my friends who have children — have told me it’s a different world now. … Truth is, why should we cater to the bigots and the uneducated folks, it’s 2011?”

Max said this would be the only time the subject of his sexuality would come up on his show. He feared that admitting he was gay would have kept him from a career in sports broadcasting.
(via NYPost)

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GLEE’s Matthew Morrison to perform with NKOTB and BSB

It’s official, kiddies (and those old enough to remember NKOTB before facial hair). “Hot Teacher of the Year” is joining the reformed…and we mean re-formed, as in, they have formed again, boy bands, for a summer tour. Info after the jump.

Glee star Matthew Morrison announced yesterday that Hottie-Mc-Hot “Teacher of the Year” (at least as we’ve voted in the Instinct office) will take part in this summer’s super boyband lovefest. Will Schuester will try to reign in the hormones of 30 and 40-something women and gays when he joins New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys when they converge implode for a summer tour.

Our beloved Matty may have less of his own shows (planned around his recently released album) now because of this move, but now Morrison has a larger platform—and may actually meet some straight women—while performing in arenas across the U.S.

For ticket and tour info, click here or visit matthewmorrison.com.
(via Instinct)

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GLEE Season Finale – WICKED’s ‘For Good’


Lea Michele & Chris Colfer Sing GLEE Season Finale – WICKED’s ‘For Good’

On the stage of the Gershwin Theater where WICKED plays eight times a week, Rachel and Kurt form a diva mutual-appreciation-society befitting of Elphaba and G(a)linda and share their affection and love for each other as performers – as well as people.

Of special note to Broadway babies: both of the original Broadway witches in WICKED who first sang “For Good” have made memorable appearances on GLEE in the last two seasons, with Idina Menzel essaying the role of Rachel Berry’s mother, Shelby, and Kristin Chenoweth winning over fans with her award-nominated stint as boozy April Rhodes.

Continuing what was begun with Michele and Colfer‘s dueling versions of “Defying Gravity” last season, WICKED’s unforgettable Act One Finale, here is the end of Act Two – “For Good”; as is oh-so befitting of the close of Season Two of GLEE.

(via BroadwayWorld.com)

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Lottery winner continues to collect food stamps

A Michigan man who won $2 million in a state lottery game continues to collect food stamps 11 months after striking it rich.

And there’s nothing the state can do about it, at least for now.

Leroy Fick, 59, of Auburn won $2 million in the state lottery TV show “Make Me Rich!” last June. But the state’s Department of Human Services determined he was still eligible for food stamps, Fick’s attorney, John Wilson of Midland, said Tuesday.

Eligibility for food stamps is based on gross income and follows federal guidelines; lottery winnings are considered liquid assets and don’t count as income. As long as Fick’s gross income stays below the eligibility requirement for food stamps, he can receive them, even if he has a million dollars in the bank.

Food stamps are paid for through tax dollars and are meant to help support low-income families.

Wilson said Fick told the DHS officials he’d won $2 million but was told he could keep using the Bridge Card issued to him to buy groceries.

Though the food stamp program is federal and states must follow U.S. guidelines, states sometimes request waivers of rules. Michigan was granted a waiver recently to stop college students from qualifying for food stamps.

“For Leroy Fick to continue to use a Bridge Card, paid for by the taxpayers, after winning the lottery, is obscene,” said Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “What a waste of taxpayer money.”

Jones contacted DHS officials Monday about Fick’s case, and was told the department’s hands were tied by federal regulations.

“There is no liquid asset requirement for getting food stamps,” Jones said. “The department is asking the federal government for an immediate change (in policy). They’re hoping this case will help the federal government act.”
(via DetroitNews)

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Redeye to NYC


On my way back to NYC. Love the city, not so crazy about the long flights…

Attending an event with Vanessa where she’s being honored as the Fashion Icon she is. And it will be a bit of a college reunion of Syracuse University classmates. Looking forward to it.

Plus maybe some meetings about a project I’m working on.

And some ‘Carlye’ time, which always makes a trip worthwhile.

More wine please…

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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State Capital Police try to intimidate peaceful LGBTQ protestors at anti-LGBTQ rally

At the large anti-gay rally in Raleigh, NC yesterday, the capital police attempted to intimidate peaceful protestors who held a simple sign saying “Equal Rites for All.”

They eventually backed off when a local news reporter and camera crew made the scene.

At the end of the video you get an earful of some of the misstatements made at the rally – namely that “all forms of marriage in Scandinavia” have “disappeared” because of gays.

Welcome to hate, kids.