(image via jeffreysanker.com) As we come to the end of the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic, circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker is prepping White Party Puerto Vallarta to begin a week of New Year’s celebrations super spreader events nicknamed WPPV20/21. This might be a bad time to get infected with COVID-19. Vallarta Daily Newsreported on Christmas Day the Puerto Vallarta Regional Hospital is at 100% occupancy with COVID-19 patients. Additionally, the state of Jalisco has reached a 65% positivity rate in testing. Sanker’s official website states health and safety guidelines will be practiced including limited event capacity, temperature checks, and masks required for entry (bolding is mine). Does anyone have a feeling the masks will come off after entering the events? The promotional materials also read: “All state guidelines will be enforced for all guests.” (image via jeffreysanker.com) Speaking of guidelines, VisitPuertoVallarta.com recently announced that NEW guidelines are being implemented from December 25 – January 10, 2021 that include: • Suspension of bars and clubs in Puerto Vallarta at 19:00 hours (7 pm) • New Year’s parties and events will be suspended That last bit of information might come as a surprise to Sanker and company as his 10 pm event at Industry Nightclub (which Sanker apparently owns) on January 1 is already sold out. The other three events are being held at Mantamar Beach Club, which is at least outdoors. However, the December 30 event is announced to begin at 6 pm, so…an hour of party time? Some folks chimed in on Sanker’s Facebook page regarding the possibility of the events spreading the virus even more. (screen capture via Facebook) Sanker canceled the 2020 edition of his White Party Palm Springs earlier this year. I reached out to Sanker for any updates or changes being considered for White Party Puerto Vallarta in light of the new guidelines. No word back at this time.
Dr. Jake Jacob, an openly gay physician, recently reflected on social media about his process of severing ties with the Mormon Church specifically his decision to stop wearing his ‘temple garments.’
Posting a photo clad in just a white t-shirt and briefs, the beefy doc shared with his 278K Instagram followers that it has been 12 years since he decided to stop wearing the ‘magic underwear’ noting “it made no sense since I was having sex with men which is a mortal sin against the Mormon church’s teachings.”
But rather than a sad moment of reflection, Jacob recalls the decision as “life-altering physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”
“It was my last physical reminder, for good or bad, of my ties to childhood religion,” he continued. “It was liberating for my body to finally remove the oppressive clothing that insisted I always stay covered instead of celebrating the body God gave me.”
For the hunky 39-year-old, shedding the garments represented discarding unnecessary shame and self-loathing that he’d carried for years about who he was and a part of himself that he “can’t and shouldn’t change.”
“It was a necessary step in overcoming years of conversion therapy that taught me I was broken and somehow God was supposed to fix me if I was righteous enough, an ever-moving impossible goal post,” he added.
Jacob also recalled the feeling of “sliding into my sheets without any clothes the first night I felt freedom I’d never experienced before.”
Being able to choose how he presented his body to the world began “a journey of loving my own body, embracing my flaws, of actually looking in the mirror and choosing to like what I see without guilt or forced ‘humility’ which I now know was the quest for impossible constant perfection of body and mind.”
The result was the beginning of loving himself “for who I am independent of a higher power’s approval or acceptance of my peers.”
With good and bad days in the rearview mirror, Jacob’s focus now is on the gratitude he feels having journeyed towards self-acceptance.
“I’m grateful I took a chance stepping into the unknown discovering a life I never dreamed could be so fulfilling,” he writes in closing.
The good doctor offers more than just eye-candy on his social media, although he’s clearly built AF. Check out some other recent posts below and follow the body-conscious Jacob on Instagram here for more of his posts.
As the year 2020 is (finally) coming to a close, it seems everyone is doing year-end wrap-ups and lists. So, why not Grindr?
The popular gay dating app took a deep dive into some statistics regarding its worldwide audience of users.
In a series of posts titled ‘Grindr Unwrapped,’ inspired by Spotify’s annual Spotify Wrapped, the folks in the know took a look at sex and dating trends among the nearly 13 million gay, bi, trans and queer app users.
For instance, pointing out that the guys on Grindr “ran the gamut of positions,” the number crunchers note that the countries with the highest percentage of self-proclaimed tops were Morocco, India, Nigeria, Chile, and Israel.
(graphics via Grindr Blog)
Flipping that script, it seems the highest percentage of bottoms can be found in Vietnam, Sweden, Thailand, Peru, and South Africa.
And yes, vers guys do exist especially if you happen to be in Venezuela, Guatemala, Argentina, Mexico, and Australia.
The cities with the most guys getting their Grindr on (per capita) are Washington, D.C., Paris, Bogota, Santiago, and Houston.
Overall, as folks look to getting back in the swing of traveling, it might be useful to know that the countries with the most Grindr users are the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, India, and the U.K.
All in all, there were 7.85 billion taps sent out into the interwebs from our phones with 584 million getting marked as ‘favorites.’
It turns out that Sunday evenings are when folks are most likely to fire up the app, and the eggplant emoji (no surprise) was the top profile emoji.
Grindr does offer a caveat to this list by noting that not all app users include all of these categories of info in their profiles. Plus, keep in mind Grindr itself is its own subset of the gay/bi/trans community.
So, if you find yourself in Morocco or India and the number of top guys don’t seem to add up in your travels, don’t blame Grindr.
Click over to the Grindr blog for more stats from the informal report like top profile songs and where users like to play host the most.
Elliot Page (image via Facebook) Academy Award nominee Elliot Page (Juno, X-Men: Days of Future Past), formerly Ellen Page, shared with his social media followers today that he is transgender. “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.” “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey,” he continued. “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society.” “I also ask for patience,” he added. “My joy is real, but it is also fragile. The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence.” “I love that I am trans,” Page wrote in closing. “And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.” Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, tweeted this message of support:
“Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.”
Page, originally from Canada, first found the international spotlight in 2005 with the revenge thriller Hard Candy. Two years later, he was honored with an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the acclaimed indie film, Juno. Page came out in 2014 and has been a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community. Page currently stars in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.
Jim Newman (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Let’s hear it for Broadway’s Jim Newman (above) who definitely knows how to find his light. Follow him on Instagram here. • CNN: Donald Trump told an ally that he knows he lost, but that he is delaying the transition process and is aggressively trying to sow doubt about the election results in order to get back at Democrats for questioning the legitimacy of his own election in 2016, especially with the Russia investigation. • HBO Max: The original series EQUAL pays tribute to the epic origin stories of the LGBTQ+ movement. The four-part docu-series captures the true backstories of the leaders and unsung heroes, pre-Stonewall, who changed the course of American history through their tireless activism. Each hour-long episode in the series plays like a thriller, bringing to life the high stakes and hard deadlines of historical events that have not yet been given their due. In honor of Transgender Day of Awareness, I want to highlight Episode 2 which focuses on the courageous pioneers of the trans movement. Check out the trailer for the series below.
• Out: Two Trump-appointed judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit today overturned a lower court ruling and struck down local ordinances prohibiting licensed therapists from practicing the debunked “conversion therapy” on minors. • Bloomberg: Donald Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week and is isolating. Junior recently downplayed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak that deaths are “almost nothing.” I guess this makes Junior “almost nothing.” • AP: Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified results reported by the state’s 159 counties that show Biden won the state by a margin of 12,670 votes.
Georgia’s top elections official has certified results showing Democrat Joe Biden won the presidential race in the state. https://t.co/hZ0eR6A7rx
(image via screen capture) Props to Ritz Crackers for the new holiday ad spot featuring all kinds of folks (including a multi-racial queer couple) showing up for family celebrations this Christmas. “The holidays are about spending time with family. Whether it’s the one you’re born into or the one you make.” On their ‘Taste of Welcome‘ website, the snack maker writes, “At RITZ, we believe everyone should feel like they belong. That’s why this holiday, we’re encouraging people to rethink what it means to be family.” The company is also partnering with The It Gets Better Project (which aims to uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth), Hispanic Star (showcases and amplifies the value and contributions of the Hispanic community), and Invisible People (which fights to humanize homelessness by putting a face to the issue) by donating $50,000 to help support communities in need this season.
Kaila and Erica at their Belize-inspired backyard honeymoon surprise (photo: Rachel Rodgers) As part of their “Honeymoon for Heroes” campaign, the folks at Southwest Rapid Rewards Card from Chase just gave away 1 Million Rapid Rewards Points to essential workers. In partnership with Brides.com, Chase and Southwest surprised five essential worker couples across the country with a pop-up backyard honeymoon experience PLUS 200,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points (about $3K in value) that don’t expire so they can take their real trip (or trips) when they are ready to travel. Chase and Southwest took the time to get to know each couple over the past few months, including their unique love story and ideal honeymoon destination, so that they could design a pop-up backyard honeymoon experience that felt special and personal to their relationship. For example, Erica, who is a pediatric ICU nurse, and Kaila, who is a licensed clinical social worker in New York City, were planning to visit a tropical island for a relaxing beach trip, but had to put their plans on hold when COVID started ramping up across the city. Chase and Southwest decided to surprise them with a Bohemian Picnic backyard honeymoon experience, inspired by the islands of Belize and Turks and Caicos, to give them the chance to relax and unwind on the beach as originally intended, without any of the hassle or worry. Joel and Zenile celebrate their Southwest surprise (photo: Rachel Rodgers) All of the couples also received Southwest’s coveted Companion Pass status through EOY 2021, which allows a Rapid Rewards member’s companion to fly with them free of airline charges every time they book a flight using points. Plus, each of the couples will be featured on Brides.com at the end of the month in a guide to planning weddings and honeymoons. It’s totally a ‘best practice’ to use a credit card like Southwest’s for expenses. If you’re going to be spending the money on the happy nuptials anyway, why not earn points for use towards the honeymoon? As part of the campaign, over 1,000 individuals were surveyed about their honeymoon plans and as you might expect, 2/3 of couples had to change their honeymoon travel plans (coronavirus pandemic, don’t you know…). But 3/4 of couples do intend to stick with their original honeymoon destination when they finally feel comfortable traveling.
Chris Renfro and Michael Henry (screen capture) Which is worse – being called a ‘basic’ gay or being kicked out of bed for not voting? I have to say Michael Henry’s latest video exploration into the world of the gays had me scratching my head a bit. I know I’ve heard of gays who don’t vote, but do they really exist? Really? In the video, Clint shares a recent story of a nooner gone bad after he casually mentioned he doesn’t vote, nor does he plan to. Shaken out of his afterglow by the revelation, Nathan throws Clint out of his apartment. Needless to say, Clint’s indignation over being kicked to the curb falls on less than sympathetic ears as Michael and Chris are just as horrified by his lack of civic duty. “Would you kick someone out of bed for not voting?” asks Clint with a – pardon the expression – straight face. Clint Keller (screen capture) Chris and Michael in unison: “YES!” The democratic duo then goes into all the reasons how not voting serves no purpose whatsoever. Oh, and Clint also admits he won’t be going out this weekend because he partied so hard at Atlanta Pride he got gout. “What’s the big deal? It’s my right to have a good time in a dark warehouse. So what if it’s a ‘super spreader’ event at the public’s expense?” In this day and age of Donald Trump packing the courts with ultra-conservative judges whose rulings can shape (or reduce) LGBTQ rights, kicking transgender soldiers out of the U.S. military and arguing at the Supreme Court it’s fine to fire someone for who they love, why would someone choose to not vote? I mean, not even fill out a mail-in ballot? Michael Henry is, once again spot-on not only on the issue but with his timing as the election is only one week away. Watch the quick video below, then make sure you vote! Note: For those concerned about coronavirus safety, Michael Henry shares, “Nathan and Clint are in a relationship and we filmed in their apartment.”
(screen captures via Instagram) Awww… It’s been a while since we saw a flash mob dance at a wedding – but today we get this little uplifting nugget. Fitness guy Brock Dalgleish shared this clip from his beautiful wedding, which took place this past Sunday in Salt Lake City. Dalgleish surprised his partner, Riley Jay, Brock with not one but two dance routines at the end of the ceremony. Socially-distanced guests watched as the dancers knocked it out to Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love” from her latest album, Chromatica. “This was my dream come true,” Brock told his followers on TikTok. “Wedding flash mob with all of my people.”
(photo by Maurício Mascaro via Pexels) While Atlanta Pride organizers decided to hold a series of virtual Pride events this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were still some unofficial live dance events where video and photos of shirtless men dancing shoulder to shoulder made their way onto social media. One party-goer died early Sunday morning at one of the unofficial events. From The Advocate:
Emergency workers had attempted to resuscitate the man, who was found unconscious at the club BJ Roosters; he had passed out in the venue’s basement earlier in the morning after consuming the drug ecstasy, said his partner. Atlanta police found no signs of foul play, but an investigation is ongoing.
The event held early Sunday morning at BJ Roosters, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., was Xion, a gay circuit party thrown by Ga Boy Events. The group had organized several unofficial events during Atlanta Pride weekend, including a Saturday night party at the Underground Atlanta mall with Danny Verde and an event at District Atlanta with Nina Flowers.
One of Xion’s attendees, who asked to remain anonymous, forwarded a statement to The Advocate claiming that pandemic guidelines were not being enforced at the event, which was “packed” with hundreds of guests to “overcapacity at times.”
The victim was apparently in crisis for over 30 minutes with an onlooker performing CPR before paramedics showed up. The witness also told The Advocate that he’d attended parties all over the world and never been to one without EMTs standing by.
Taken last night at Atlanta Pride. And publicly posted to Instagram. In the middle of a pandemic. People can be so shitty and selfish. Please don’t be like these people. This is appallingly gross. pic.twitter.com/SDafZ0HXfC
This doesn’t represent Queer Atlanta or Atlanta Pride… this is some selfish bullshit and greedy promoters who want to cash in on the weekend and a slap in the face to our spaces that are actually doing the work or have been forced to shut down. pic.twitter.com/09dcogipZm
