Author: Randy Slovacek

Posted on

Homocon: Leather Events Are “An Affront To Gay Acceptance”

L-R Brad Polumbo (image via Twitter), stock photo via Depositphotos
Conservative homo journalist Brad Polumbo has penned an op-ed decrying the “degenerate gay community” for celebrating at the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL) in Washington D.C. last weekend. While Polumbo dined at “a fancy Mexican joint” and then headed home to re-watch HBO’s Game of Thrones, he was apparently appalled that “public displays of debauchery” at MAL was giving us all a bad name and “annihilating what progress we’ve made.”

From his essay in the Washington Examiner:

Many of the events took place at gay bars, and the agenda included events such as “Deviant,” a “circuit party and celebration for queer people of color,” as well as “Sungay,” described as “an outdoor day party with leather aficionados, muscle boys, bears and more.”

This is disgusting. But it’s more than that: It’s eminently harmful to gay progress and acceptance.

Wait – a celebration for queer people of color and a tea party with muscle boys, leather guys and bear sounds ‘disgusting?’ It sounds like a fun time to me. Polumbo goes on to list why he’s so angry. First, he thinks it’s “bizarre” for folks to be open about their “sexual kinks and perversions.” And worse, that people “conflate their sexual deviancy with homosexuality.” The strange thing about that assertion is that in the next breath he admits leather or fetishes aren’t strictly gay flavors writing, “I would argue that these people are no different from heterosexuals with similar perversions, so why the exhibitionism?” I would ask, “Why the outrage?” Polumbo claims is that holding events like MAL are “an affront to gay acceptance, they fight for which was actually rooted in an appeal to family values and bourgeois norms.” Of course, he’s wrong on that point. In reality, the fight for queer rights emerged out of standing up for equal treatment under the law and against discrimination, not “an appeal to family values.” He closes his diatribe by claiming LGBTQ activists are trying to “sneak debauchery into the gay community’s public image.” And he feels that proudly flaunting “perversion” and conflating it with “all gay people” won’t change the minds of bigots who already say the gays are “immoral.” Someone should tell Mr. Polumbo that no matter how “boring” (his word) his life might be, anti-LGBTQ bigots are still going to judge him. No matter how many polo shirts and khaki shorts you wear, you’ll never be a part of their club. Nothing against polo shirts and khaki shorts btw. I wear them all the time. Remember, MAL is a series of events behind closed doors that attendees pay to get into. It’s not about anyone’s public image or conflating a leather fetish with “all gay people.” In sharing his op-ed on Twitter (more than a dozen times in less than a day), he shares that “the LGBT ‘community’ has shown me zero kindness” which seems to be more telling than anything. It sounds like he doesn’t get laid enough so he’s mad at others for having fun? Or for being proud of who they are or what they like? It’s also notable that if you Google his name, the first hit to come up is another essay he wrote complaining that gays won’t date homo conservatives. And there you have it. In any case, the Twitterverse did clap back at the judgmental screed:

Posted on

Judith Light To Be Honored At 2020 GLAAD Media Awards

Award-winning actress, producer, and activist Judith Light will be honored at the New York City GLAAD Media Awards with the Excellence in Media Award. GLAAD’s Excellence in Media Award is presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people. Previous Excellence in Media Award honorees include Ava DuVernay, Robert De Niro, Kelly Ripa, Patti LaBelle, Debra Messing, Tyra Banks, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Billy Crystal, and Diane Sawyer. GLAAD also announced that Lilly Singh, openly bisexual executive producer and host of NBC’s “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” will serve as host of the Awards, which will take place at the Hilton Midtown in New York on Thursday, March 19. The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. “Judith Light stood up for and with LGBTQ people when others in media and entertainment refused to speak up, and she has never left our side,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “When the GLAAD Media Awards first started and was a small event with little visibility, she was one of the few entertainers who would join us in calling for LGBTQ representation, so it is only fitting to now honor her advocacy on what has become the largest LGBTQ stage in the world. “From standing alongside LGBTQ people during the AIDS crisis, to fighting for marriage equality, to now uplifting transgender people and issues, Judith advocates with a unique passion and an unending dedication that uplifts.” The multiple Tony and Emmy award-winning actress is known for her extensive body of television, film, and stage work, for which she recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Currently, Light is starring opposite Bette Midler and Ben Platt in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series The Politician, which is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. On-screen, Light has portrayed many pivotal roles that have helped to advance LGBTQ acceptance and elevate LGBTQ stories and issues. In 1989, Light starred as Ryan White’s mother in The Ryan White Story, a film based on the true-life story of teenager Ryan White who contracted HIV and was expelled from his middle school. More recently, Light starred in Transparent, Amazon Prime’s Golden Globe-winning series, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination and multiple Emmy and Critics’ Choice nominations. During its run, Transparent earned three GLAAD Media Awards and helped to bring mainstream attention to issues related to the transgender community. Light has also appeared in several other films and shows that have helped to elevate LGBTQ issues and people, including the 2007 film Save Me about the dangers of gay conversion therapy, and Ryan Murphy’s FX series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which received a GLAAD Media Award and garnered her an Emmy and Critics Choice nomination. Light is also known for her variety of award-winning roles in the theater and won two consecutive Tony Awards. Light was honored with the 2019 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for her extensive philanthropy work, especially in fighting to end AIDS and championing LGBTQ and human rights. Throughout her career, Judith Light has been a fearless advocate for LGBTQ people and has helped to bring awareness to numerous LGBTQ issues and causes. During the 1980s, Light was one of the few prominent celebrities who helped to bring draw attention to the AIDS epidemic and fight stigma towards LGBTQ people and people living with HIV/AIDS. During this time, Light worked with many different LGBTQ organizations to help accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community, including the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, GLAAD, NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, Project Angel Food, and Elton John AIDS Foundation. Throughout the 1990s, Light continued to advocate for LGBTQ issues by participating in various events and campaigns, including the LGBT March in Washington in 1993, the California AIDS Ride in 1995, and the display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt with Elizabeth Taylor in 1996. In 2002, Light also traveled to South Africa for the AIDS walk to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the country and help drive greater research initiatives in the United States. Light has also served on the boards of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Point Foundation.

Posted on

Syracuse: Hate Crime Assault Results In 6 Month Jail Sentence

A man in upstate New York pleaded guilty to violently attacking a gay couple as they were leaving the New York state fair last August. Nicholas Ferlenda, 28, pleaded guilty to two hate crimes on Tuesday – fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree assault. According to the police reports, Ferlenda apparently became enraged at seeing one of the men put his arm around his boyfriend as they were leaving a concert event on August 24. Ferlenda began screaming obscenities and anti-LGBTQ slurs at the couple as they walked to their vehicle. He then punched one of the men in the face. The report states the men attempted to ignore him but the harassment continued for nearly half an hour. As they tried to leave the fairgrounds, they stopped to report the incident to a fair worker. But Ferlenda caught up to the car and punched the driver’s side window causing it to shatter. He was eventually taken into custody at 10:55 p.m. Police believe he may have been intoxicated. If Ferlenda hadn’t used specific anti-LGBTQ slurs he would have only faced two misdemeanors. But the hate speech bumped the charges up to felonies. Prosecutor Anthony Mangovski told the court on Tuesday Ferlenda’s actions demonstrated an “unbelievable” hatred, especially towards strangers. Mangovski urged the court to sentence Ferlenda to 1 to 3 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to one of the crimes. But state Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy instead offered 6 months in jail and five years probation if Ferlenda copped to both hate crime felonies. He will also be required to pay for any damages he caused to the couple’s car as well as take part in diversity training. Additionally, he will face up to 8 years in prison if he is re-arrested before formal sentencing in April. (source: Syracuse.com)

Posted on

Utah Becomes 19th State Protect To LGBTQ Youth From Conversion Torture

(stock photo via Depositphotos)
The National Center for Lesbian Rights reports conservative Utah has become the 19th state to protect LGBTQ youth from the harmful practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ which seeks to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing adopted statewide rules protecting queer minors from the dangerous approach sometimes known as ‘ex-gay’ therapy. Utah Governor Gary Herbert directed the Division to develop the rules last year after proposed legislation to address the issue narrowly failed to pass the Utah Legislature. In addition to the 19 states, the District of Columbia and more than 60 local municipalities have adopted similar protections. Every leading medical and mental health organization in the United States, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics,  has rejected conversion therapy as ineffective and dangerous for minors. “Utah’s emergence as the most conservative state to address this issue shows how rapidly attitudes toward LGBTQ youth are changing in every part of this country,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter. Troy Williams, executive director of EQUALITY UTAH issued a statement that read in part: “Every reputable science-based organization in the country recognizes that conversion therapy is a dangerous fraud. It exacerbates depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. We are grateful to Governor Herbert and the Board of Psychologists for acting swiftly on behalf of LGBTQ youth.” Studies show LGBTQ youth who are subjected to conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to experience depression, and nearly three times more likely to attempt suicide. (via email)

Posted on

News Round-Up: January 21, 2020

Joss Mooney and Rogan O’Connor
Some news items you might have missed: • Chippendales: MTV’s “The Challenge” hottest dynamic duo and reality star heartthrobs, Joss Mooney and Rogan O’Connor (aka JOGAN) will join the world-famous Chippendales as celebrity guest hosts for four shows only, January 24 and 25 (8:30 pm and 10:30 pm) at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. • New York Times: The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is underway, and it’s pretty much what I expected. Check-in with the New York Times for the lowdown on today’s developments including the Senate Republicans blocking subpoenas for new evidence. • OUT: Katie Sowers, who is an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, will make history when she steps on the field. Having been with the 49ers for just two seasons, she will become the first female, and the first openly LGBTQ+ assistant coach to work at the event • The Gaily Grind: Vice President Mike Pence called on all Americans to remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “in these divided times” while attending a church where an anti-LGBTQ bishop claimed that homosexuality is caused by “a demonic spirit” and is wrong because of “plumbing.” • Davey Wavey: It seems porn star Diego Sans finds kissing even more intimate than having sex (I can understand that) and so sex-positive DW offers some tips on the art and intimacy of kissing. Note – NSFW language. • HRC: The Human Rights Campaign has released its 2020 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report that measures how effectively America’s leading companies include and protect their LGBTQ employees and this year’s results show a record-high 686 businesses and law firms earned a perfect 100 on HRC’s scoring system. • Self-Improvement: Singer Calum Scott shared pics of his progress to get fit in 2020 and it’s pretty impressive. Good on him – slow and steady wins the race.

Posted on

RuPaul To Sashay As Saturday Night Live Host

NBC announced today that recording artist, actor, drag superstar, and Emmy Award-winner RuPaul will host the February 8 episode of Saturday Night Live with Justin Bieber as musical guest. This follows the January 10 premiere of RuPaul’s new scripted series for Netflix, AJ and the Queen, as well as VH1’s announcement that they would be bringing back RuPaul’s Drag Race for a 12th season. Plus, there’s an All-Stars 5 and a new Celebrity Drag Race edition on the way over the coming year. But wait – there’s more! We’ve also received an announcement of the first season of Canada’s Drag Race AND a 2nd season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2020. It’s a good time to be Ru, no? RuPaul’s SNL debut will air on NBC, Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11:30pm ET.

Posted on

Hillary Clinton On Bernie: ‘Nobody Wants To Work With Him’

In an interview in advance of the upcoming 4-part docu-series for Hulu titled, Hillary, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave some pretty candid answers when asked her thoughts on Sen. Bernie Sanders. You’ll recall Sanders held on to the bitter end in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination. Many felt his eventual ‘endorsement’ of Hillary was half-hearted and credit his supporters (sometimes called ‘Bernie bros’) for being part of the equation that led to her loss in the electoral college to Donald Trump. From The Hollywood Reporter:

In the doc, you’re brutally honest on Sanders: “He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It’s all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.” That assessment still holds?

Yes, it does.

If he gets the nomination, will you endorse and campaign for him?

I’m not going to go there yet. We’re still in a very vigorous primary season. I will say, however, that it’s not only him, it’s the culture around him. It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters. It’s his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture — not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it. And I don’t think we want to go down that road again where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it, but you either don’t know what your campaign and supporters are doing or you’re just giving them a wink and you want them to go after Kamala [Harris] or after Elizabeth [Warren]. I think that that’s a pattern that people should take into account when they make their decisions.

As the political world commented on her remarks, Clinton took to Twitter to say she “thought everyone wanted my authentic, unvarnished views,” and added that she will do whatever she can “to support our nominee.”

Posted on

Attending The 2020 GayVN Awards ‘The Oscars Of Gay Porn’

From the red carpet of the 2020 GayVNs
The 2020 GayVN Awards were held Monday night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and it was quite the gay affair. Performers, directors, producers, and fans of adult entertainment came out to celebrate and hand out trophies at the event that’s been called “the Oscars of Gay Porn.” I’ve never attended an awards show for adult entertainment, so I was super curious as to how this would all go down (no pun intended). One thing I did learn – when picking up your credentials, don’t stand in the background while Cutler X is taking a photo because he will yell at you for “photo-bombing.” Now, the awards show did begin an hour late (is that called being on ‘gay time?’), but what followed was an impressive and well-produced event by ManyVids. Alec Mapa returned to hosting duties this year alongside new co-host comedienne/TV host Nicole Byer. Plus, there was musical entertainment by King Princess and a special performance by Alyssa Edwards.
GayVN Awards co-hosts Nicole Byer & Alec Mapa
At the event, Dallas Steele (nominated for Best Group Sex Scene and Favorite Daddy) told me he feels the event helps to de-stigmatize the industry. “You look around at all these beautiful, well-dressed people,” said Steele. “If my mom were still around I’d be proud to have her here. I think it’s incredibly positive about our industry.” Brian Davilla (nominated for Favorite Bear, also directed nominees in Best All Sex movie and Best Group scene) said his favorite aspect of the night was the sense of family among a group of people he warmly termed a ‘weird fraternity.’ “I’ve developed lifelong friendships that really transcend the work,” shared the woofy Davilla. Some history was made and a barrier broken as DeAngelo Jackson became the first Black performer to take home the trophy for Best Actor for his work in Blended Family:

Cade Maddox won for Performer of the Year:

Check out some of the attendees on the red carpet:
‘Best Actor’ winner DeAngelo Jackson
L-R ‘Favorite Bear’ nominee Brian Davilla & John Hickey
‘Best Group Scene’ & ‘Favorite Daddy’ nominee Dallas Steele
L-R Nic Sahara, Andrew Christian, Nick Masc
I also got to meet the oh-so-handsome Matthew Camp, who was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Camp Chaos. A year ago, I interviewed Camp about the then-upcoming project and I am happy to report Camp is even more impressive in person as he was warm, thoughtful and charming in our short conversation.
Meeting Matthew Camp (Best Actor nominee for ‘Camp Chaos’)
Here’s the interview with Camp in case you missed it:

Here is the full list of winners for the 2020 GayVN Awards: 2020 GayVN Hall of Fame inductee – Tim Valenti, NakedSword/Falcon Studios CEO Best Actor – DeAngelo Jackson, Blended Family, Icon Male/Mile High Best All-Sex Movie – Love and Lust in Montreal, Falcon Studios Best Bi Sex Scene – Natalie Mars, Ella Nova, Ricky Larkin & Wesley Woods; Free for All, WhyNotBi.com Best Director – Feature – Jake Jaxson & RJ Sebastian; Le Garçon Scandaleux, CockyBoys/PinkTV; Best Director – Non-Feature – Steve Cruz; Outta the Park!, Raging Stallion/Falcon Best Duo Sex Scene – Ashton Summers & Pheonix Fellington, Fellington’s Flip Fuck, HelixStudios.com Best Feature – Vegas Nights, HelixStudios.com Best Fetish Sex Scene – Alex Mecum & Michael DelRay; My Brother’s Discipline, Kink.com Best Group Sex Scene – Alam Wernik, Blake Ryder, Jay Dymel, Nic Sahara & Sean Duran; Five Brothers: The Takedown, NakedSword/Falcon Best Newcomer – Nic Sahara and Alex Riley (tie) Best Supporting Actor – Dante Colle, At Large, Raging Stallion/Falcon Best Three-Way Sex Scene – Jack Harrer, Peter Annaud & Marcel Gassion; Offensively Large 4, BelAmi/Pulse Performer of the Year – Cade Maddox GayVN 2020 Fan Awards: Favorite Bear – Teddy Torres Favorite Body – Blake Mitchell Favorite Bottom – Rourke Favorite Butt – Beaux Banks Favorite Cam Guy – Callum and Cole (joint page) Favorite Cock – Calvin Banks Favorite Daddy – Rocco Steele Favorite Dom – Austin Wolf Favorite FTM Star – Billy Vega Favorite Top – Zilv Gudel Favorite Twink – Joey Mills Hottest Newcomer – Rhyheim Shabazz Social Media Star – Armond Rizzo

Posted on

Billy Porter Singing With These Children Is My Favorite Thing Today

Billy Porter on The View (screen capture)
On Monday’s episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg introduced the very well-spoken 14-year-old Harrison Fribush to help celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It seems the seventh-grader came across the viral video of Baltimore’s Cardinal Shehan School Community choir singing with Andra Day and Common on The View two years ago and was inspired. He approached his choir director at Krieger Schechter Day School (also in Baltimore) about uniting the two very different choirs through the power of music. The all-Black and all-Jewish middle school choirs met up and worked on a joint version of “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. Goldberg found out about the teamwork and invited them on The View to sing a medley of “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand” and “Imagine.”
I love Whoopi’s smile as young Harrison Fribush shares his story
The cherry on the top was a surprise performance by out Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winner Billy Porter joining the talented tykes for “Imagine.” You may have heard Mr. Porter sings a bit… The results were uplifting, powerful, magical, and a reminder that yes, children are the future. “Teach them well and let them lead the way…”

Posting the clip to Instagram, Porter wrote, “Did you all see @theviewabc yesterday? I was honored to join the Cardinal Shehan School Community and Krieger Schechter Day School choirs in a special surprise performance of ‘Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’ and ‘Imagine,’ honoring #MLKDay.” “These children are a beautiful example of our power to change hearts and minds through the arts,” added Porter. Take a second to feel good for a few minutes and hit the play button.

(h/t TheOUTfront)

Posted on

News Round-Up: January 20, 2020

Devon Gibby for DadnDaddies/Instagram
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Devon Gibby (above) spent the day at Mystic Hot Springs in Utah. “Not only is it super accessible (no 5-mile hike like others I’ve been to), but it’s the perfect balance of man-made quirkiness mixed with natural beauty. And who wouldn’t love sitting in actual bathtubs where the water doesn’t get colder while you watch the sunset behind snow-capped mountains!?” • RawStory: ‘Emasculated’ Virginia gun nuts mocked for ‘purchasing toys, dressing up in costumes, and playing fantasy games’ as they march on Richmond today. • Washington Post: In a single year, Donald Trump doubled the total number of false or misleading claims he had made in the previous two years combined. Put another way: He averaged six such claims a day in 2017, nearly 16 a day in 2018 and more than 22 a day in 2019. Lies like this one:

• RealClearPolitics: With two weeks to go until the ‘first in the nation’ Iowa caucuses on February 3, the two most recent polls there both show former Vice President Joe Biden leading the pack of Democratic White House hopefuls by 6 points. • Washington Blade: Some LGBTQ folks got riled up when Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign decided to nix a fundraiser planned at a gay club in Providence which the venue says is over a dancing pole the owners refused to remove. The Blade interviewed male pole dancers who were offended and say the decision was ‘unwarranted.’ • CNN: About half of Americans say the Senate should vote to convict President Donald Trump and remove him from office in the upcoming impeachment trial (51%), according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, while 45% say the Senate should vote against conviction and removal. • CBS This Morning: Over nearly three decades, RuPaul Charles has left his mark on culture in music, movies and reality television including taking home his sixth Emmy Award in September for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Vladimir Duthiers spoke to RuPaul about doing “it all” and how his childhood impacted his career.