Author: Randy Slovacek

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New Music: Blake English Just Wants To Be ‘Cool’

Blake English just wants to be ‘Cool’ (photo: Rowan Daly)
Out recording artist Blake English recently released his latest single, “Cool.” With top-shelf pop production and clever lyrics, English remembers what it was like keeping up with his glamorous, Hollywood friends on his rise to fame. Written after a party in the glamorous Hollywood Hills, “Cool” tells the story of many up-and-coming artists and those trying to fake it until they make it. English was inspired by the fact that he was surrounded by successful figures in the entertainment industry while still trying to catch his big break. “It basically goes through my journey of maintaining my authenticity while also doing things to pander to the fame life,” explains English. The lyrics contrast witty cynicism and sarcasm with honesty and vulnerability in lines such as, “One’n up with my last pay stub; it’s fine, I’m really fine, I’m really fine; done some things I regret, but for some fame, I’ll forget.” While “Cool” is, on the surface, an incredibly catchy pop song, English is also singing a vital reminder to hold on to your authenticity in a modern, flashy world. Hit the play button below. “Cool” is available now on all streaming platforms.

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Out Magazine: Wilson Cruz Covers ‘Out100’ Issue

Star Trek: Discovery star Wilson Cruz covers OUT Magazine (photography by The Riker Brothers)
OUT Magazine has announced its 26th annual Out100 – the largest annual portfolio recognizing members of the LGBTQ+ community for their groundbreaking, ripple-inducing, and culture-shifting impact around the world. From OUT Magazine:

This year’s honorees make up one of the most diverse lists in Out magazine’s history, spanning several generations and a multitude of intersections from 18-year-old rap sensation Kidd Kenn and 99-year old trans WWII U.S. Navy fighter pilot Robina Asti to MSNBC journalist Rachel Maddow, who in a year of political tension was a voice of reason for the LGBTQ+ community.

From fashion legend André Leon Talley, headlining musician Lizzo, comedian Wanda Sykes, actors Jeremy Pope and Cheyenne Jackson to modeling industry heavyweight Ivan Bart, the creators of Queer Eye, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s very queer team Jamal Brown, Reggie Greer, and Karine Jean-Pierre, inclusivity and progress are the driving force behind this year’s list.

In a Facebook post, OUT’s cover man Wilson Cruz wrote, “I’m so grateful to OUT Magazine for including me in this year’s #OUT100 list and for the honor of gracing the cover.” “All I can think about is the kid who still lives inside of me who once stalked a newsstand for a week in order to work up the nerve to purchase an OUT Magazine!”

(photo: Riker Brothers)
Asked about a legacy of his stalwart LGBTQ advocacy, the Star Trek: Discovery star told OUT:

“{I hope} I used whatever talent and ability I had to tell the story of my community so that people would see us for the life-affirming, love-expanding community that we are, as opposed to the decades of misinformation and lies that were told about us. And that I use [television] to invite people in so they would actually know us. And if they know us, they’ll understand us. And if they can understand, they’ll accept us and celebrate us. And that’s all any of us want.”

On Saturday, November 21, OUT Magazine will celebrate the first-ever 2020 Out100 Virtual Honoree Induction Ceremony, live at 5 p.m. Pacific (8 p.m. Eastern) at Out.com/Out100Live, and available on all Revry live channels and on-demand at 6 p.m. Pacific (9 p.m. Eastern) at watch.revry.tv. See the full Out100 list here.

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My Favorite Thing Today: Broadway Star Lee Roy Reams In Concert

Broadway star Lee Roy Reams
What a wonderful treat! My dear longtime friend, Broadway star and frequent ‘partner in crime’ Lee Roy Reams is part of the York Theatre Company’s terrific online cabaret series, Broadway’s Great American Songbook. Hosted by 5-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, the series has also included cabaret sets from Tony Award winners Ben Vereen and Lilias White as well as Broadway veterans Alton Fitzgerald White, Karen Mason and more. Online performances premiere on Wednesday evenings continuing weekly through Wednesday evening, December 16, 2020. The series culminates with a York Holiday Cabaret Gala on Monday evening, December 21, 2020 at 7:00PM. Lee Roy’s career is the stuff that Broadway dreams are made of. Moving to New York City fresh out of college, he quickly began racking up major gigs singing and dancing on Broadway in the original cast of Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity, Applause, Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing, 42nd Street, Beauty and the Beast, The Producers and many more. Lee Roy also directed the acclaimed 1995 revival of Hello, Dolly! with Channing (and me!) which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Lee Roy asked me to handle the choreography duties for the post-Broadway national tour of Dolly! and since then we’ve staged the show together several times in major regional theatre companies across the country. Each time, it was just as Cornelius Hackl tells his Dolly! sidekick, “It’s an adventure, Barnaby!” I won’t go on as I want you to hit the play button below and enjoy Lee Roy’s masterful storytelling as he sings his way through his incredible career. Authentic, earnest, captivating and magical – just a few of the superlatives that come to mind after watching this true artist weave his spell. I was especially moved by the medley from Dolly! beginning at the 31:00 mark. And can I say – I wish we all could look and sound so good at 78-years-old. #LikeAFineWine Big applause for Alex Rybeck’s robust and artful musical direction and accompaniment as he does what he does so very well. Enjoy.

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Milestone: 250,000+ U.S. Deaths From COVID-19

(graphic via CNN)
A sad milestone today as the death toll from COVID-19 in the U.S. crosses the 250,000 mark. According to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. saw the highest coronavirus-related death toll on Tuesday in more than six months with 1,707 fatalities. From CNN:

The coronavirus is now killing at least one American every minute of the day, bringing the country to another horrific milestone on Wednesday: At least 250,029 people in the country have died of Covid-19 since the first death on February 29 in Washington state.

And it’s only going to get worse, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine.

“The horrible death count that we saw yesterday in the United States … reflects the number of people who were being infected three weeks ago — two to three weeks ago, because that’s the lag,” Reiner said Wednesday.

“On average, two to three weeks ago, we were seeing 70,000 to 80,000 (new) cases per day. Yesterday, there were about 155,000 (new) cases. So if you’re alarmed at the 1,700 deaths today, two to three weeks from now, we’re going to see 3,000 deaths a day.”

And Donald Trump told his supporters just weeks ago, “We’re rounding the curve…” So. Much. Winning.

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News Round-Up: November 18, 2020

Former President Barack Obama (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Mediaite: Former President Barack Obama’s newly-released memoir, A Promised Land, sold more than 887,000 copies in the U.S. and Canada in its first 24 hours putting it on track to be the highest selling presidential memoir in modern history. • Back2Stonewall: The FBI has released its annual report on hate crimes showing that, broadly, hate crimes rose 2.7 percent in 2019. Hate crimes perpetrated against gay men rose for the third straight year from 57.8% in 2017 to 61.8% in 2019. • The Advocate: Ryan Phillippe says his parents “shunned” him for taking on the role on One Life to Live’s Billy Douglas, the first gay character on a soap opera, which he portrayed during the early ’90s. Phillippe is currently starring in ABC’s new drama, Big Sky. • Minneapolis Star Tribune: Gov. Tim Walz will impose new restrictions on bars, restaurants and fitness centers starting Friday, closing them down to the public for four weeks as COVID-19 cases surge across the state. Bars and restaurants will still be allowed to offer takeout services during that time. • CNN: The Trump campaign alleged last week that a vote cast by a Georgia woman named Deborah Jean Christiansen was fraudulent because she was reportedly dead. In fact, the vote was legally cast by a living woman who also happens to be named Deborah Jean Christiansen. Christiansen answered the door when CNN showed up on Tuesday evening. • OUT: Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy scored another honor as he lands on PEOPLE’s 2020 ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ List

 

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A post shared by Dan Levy (@instadanjlevy)

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Fire Chief Catches Heat After Calling Drag Event ‘Fa**ot Show’

L-R William Buckaloo & friend, Magnolia Applebottom (images via Instagram)
A fire chief in Delaware attended a drag show at a local restaurant over the weekend and then took to social media to complain about being ‘talking into’ going to a ‘faggot show.’ William Buckaloo, the assistant fire chief in Rehoboth Beach, attended a drag show at the Blue Moon and tagged himself in a Facebook post which read, “The sh*t I get talked in to (sic)…Matt, talked us to go to a f*ggot show.” The hostess for the show, Magnolia Applebottom, came across the social media post and addressed the remarks on her Instagram:

“What a sad turn of events. The @lewes_fire chief thought it was ok to go to a gay owned and operated establishment… and go to a show hosted and produced by a award winning gay entertainer and use that F word on social media… Your job is to protect the people in our community not bring us down. Do better!!! Be better!!! And we recognize your inappropriate behavior.”

 

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A post shared by Magnolia Applebottom (@mrsmagnolia)

The friend tagged in the Facebook post by Buckaloo, Matt Sprenkle, quickly put space between himself and the fire chief as well as denouncing Buckaloo’s comments. Sprenkle told the Washington Blade he did not invite Buckaloo to the show nor did he attend the show, as he was dining in the restaurant at the time. Sprenkle clarified that he’s only an acquaintance of Buckaloo’s and the two men had run into each other at the Blue Moon. “I do not agree with any of the comments he made and do not associate myself with them,” said Sprenkle. After the social media firestorm, Lewis Fire Department Chief Steve Evans told the Blade that he had removed Buckaloo from his position. Evans added that he “expects the department will formally suspend Buckaloo” as well.

Buckaloo has not commented publicly since being removed from his position.

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Trump Campaign Requests Partial Recount Of Wisconsin

With a 5 pm deadline looming today in Wisconsin for the Trump campaign to request (as previously indicated) a recount of the votes cast in the presidential election, which has been estimated to cost $7.9 million, the state has received reportedly received a $3 million payment from Team Trump for a partial recount. From AlterNet:

The recount the campaign is requesting is focused on heavily Democratic Dane County and Milwaukee County since Team Trump regards Democratic votes as inherently suspicious.

President-elect Joe Biden got 577,455 votes in those counties and won Wisconsin as a whole by 20,608 votes.

A recount would start this week and needs to be completed by Dec. 1. It’s extremely unlikely — virtually impossible, even — that even a statewide recount would net Trump more than 20,000 votes. A 2016 recount of the state got him an additional 131 votes.

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Georgia: Trump Depressed His Own Voting Base By Discouraging Mail-In Voting

A prosecutor in Georgia is reportedly in the early stages of investigating Donald Trump for attempting to overturn the election results in the state

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says Donald Trump actually depressed his own voting base by demonizing mail-in ballots. According to the stats, 24,000 Republicans that voted by absentee ballot in the 2020 primary didn’t vote at all in the general election which President-elect Joe Biden won by 14,000. From HuffPost:

Raffensperger, a Republican, ordered a recount. But he also told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB that the president hurt his own cause by discouraging mail-in voting, which he portrayed as a “scam.”

Raffensperger told the station that 24,000 Republican voters who voted absentee in the primary did not vote in the general election.

“Those 24,000 people did not vote in the fall,” Raffensperger said. “They did not vote absentee because they were told by the president, ‘Don’t vote absentee. It’s not secure.’ But then they did not come out and vote in person.”

“He actually depressed, suppressed his own voting base,” he added.

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News Round-Up: November 17, 2020

Joe Blizzard (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) is getting through the rough Miami winter the best he can 🙂 • Kenneth-in-the-212: The venerable NYC-based gay blog turned 15 recently! Hit the link to check out Kenneth’s Top 10 posts over the years. Congratulations, Kenneth! • Broadway World: NBC is bringing the magic of Dr. Seuss’ world to life in a new musical production airing next month. Matthew Morrison (GLEE, Hairspray) will star as the title role in Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! set to air Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Troubadour Theatre in London.

• STAT News: Pfizer may be within days of filing for an emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, having collected the safety data necessary to submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration, CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday. • Eonline: 13 years after Isaiah Washington was fired for calling his Grey’s Anatomy co-star T.R. Knight a ‘faggot’ on set, he reignited his feud with former co-star Katherine Heigl, who stood up for Knight at the time of Washington’s hate speech. There was no apparent reason cited for Washington reinvigorating the incident. Oh, and he’s a big Trump supporter, so… • Instinct Magazine: The European Union has announced a new strategy to fight anti-LGBTQ laws and sentiments across its borders. The union specifically made this announcement as a response to discrimination skyrocketing in Poland and Hungary.  

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Michigan: Republicans In Wayne County Block Certifying Election Results

Voting

UPDATE: Just hours after announcing a deadlock on certifying the election results in Wayne County, the Board of Canvassers reversed itself and certified the results by unanimous vote.

The four-member Board of Canvassers in Wayne County, Michigan, deadlocked along party lines on certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election today. Wayne County includes Detroit and its surrounding areas – can everyone hear the dog whistle? From the New York Times:

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers was deadlocked on Tuesday on certifying results in the county, which voted for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. by a margin of nearly 323,000 votes.

The two Republicans on the board said they had voted against certifying the results because many precincts in the county were out of balance by a few votes. Monica Palmer, one of the Republicans, suggested that the board would certify the county’s results without the totals from Detroit, where Mr. Biden won with 94 percent support.

The election results now move to Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers, which will complete the work that the Wayne County board could not finish. The state board also has a 2-2 Republican-Democratic split.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday night, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of Michigan said the Board of State Canvassers would be responsible for certifying the Wayne County results if the county board’s decision held.

The Board of State Canvassers meets on November 23. Team Trump has been hoping that the decision would fall to the Republican-controlled Michigan state legislature to choose their own electors to vote in the electoral college. But the Republican state Senate leader, Mike Shirkey, told the press today that Biden won Michigan and the legislature won’t interfere — “That’s not going to happen.”