Walk The Moon lead singer Nicholas Petricca (photo: Anna Lee) Some news items you might have missed: • Global Pride 2020: More than 57 million people from more than 163 countries joined the 27-hour virtual event, Global Pride 2020, that took place on June 27. Major artists including Laverne Cox, Elton John, Adam Lambert, Olivia Newton-John, Kesha, and Pabllo Vittar appeared alongside world leaders including former US Vice President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and openly gay Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. • Andrew Christian Blog: I’m not saying they’re sugar daddies but check out this list of the ‘6 Richest Gay Men in the World.’ • Instinct Magazine: On the last day of Pride Month, Nicholas Petricca (pictured above), lead singer of pop band Walk The Moon (‘Shut Up and Dance’), came out as bisexual on his Instagram page. Petricca posted a photo of a quote by Harvey Milk followed by a four-minute video where he started the video by saying, “Hi. My name is Nicholas. I’m the lead singer of a band called WALK THE MOON and I’m bisexual.”
• CinemaBlend: Matt Bomer explains why it’s been so important to tell the story of a gay superhero on DC Universe’s Doom Patrol. In his role as ‘Larry Trainor/Negative Man,’ Bomer says he gets to not only address the issue of coming out, but overcoming the guilt and shame many LGBTQ people feel in their journey. • Heavy: Corey Hannon, who became infamous over the weekend for heading out to gay mecca Fire Island believing he was infected by the coronavirus, has been banned from all Fire Island bars and restaurants for his shenanigans. • Pink News: Marvel star Tessa Thompson says her bisexual character, Valkyrie, will ‘push the bounds of’ queer representation in future films. Thompson has already told fans to expect a queer storyline in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, teasing that as Asgard’s new king, “she needs to find her queen.” • ABC News: About six-and-a-half years after criticizing then-President Barack Obama for doing the same, Donald Trump is weighing in on the controversial Redskins team name. The franchise put out a statement on Friday saying that it plans to “undergo a thorough review of the team’s name.” With a name change seeming all but certain for Washington’s NFL team, Trump tweeted his disapproval on Monday.
They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct. Indians, like Elizabeth Warren, must be very angry right now!
CNN’s Dana Bash interviews Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R) During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union this morning, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R), who criticized President Obama in 2014 for exhibiting what she called “failed leadership” on Ebola, was asked by CNN’s Dana Bash if Donald Trump is exhibiting “failed leadership” on the coronavirus health threat. Note: There were only 11 confirmed cases of Ebola reported in the U.S. and 2 Americans died from the virus six years ago. At this writing, the number of American deaths from COVID-19 is just under $130,000. Ernst’s response to the question: “I think the president is stepping forward.”
In this week’s headlines: • A new lawsuit challenges Virginia’s new law banning LGBTQ discrimination • Atlanta’s gay nightclub Heretic shut down over COVID-19 diagnoses after a sweaty dance party • A pro football player’s homophobic Twitter rant backfires bigtime • A small town council refused to recognize Pride Month, so activists staged a ‘Pride Ambush’ • Billy Porter breaks down another barrier as he becomes the first out Black man to cover ESSENCE Magazine Plus, new music from out UK singer Paul Middleton “When Love Takes Over” All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: If you don’t already, click over and follow @BigKidProblems (above) on the Gram of Insta….I like the way they think 🙂 • Christian Post: A professional photographer has filed a lawsuit against a new Virginia law that he says would force him to violate his sincerely held Christian beliefs by requiring him to provide his services to same-sex weddings. • NBC News: The Trump administration is moving to repeal transgender protections in homeless shelters. If the proposal is implemented, transgender women could be placed in sex-segregated shelters for men. • NY Times: U.S. payrolls grew by 4.8 million in June, according to the Labor Department. It was the second month of gains after a loss of more than 20 million in April when the pandemic put a large swath of economic activity on ice. The unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent, down from a peak of 14.7 percent in April but still higher than in any previous period since World War II. (image via NY Times) • American Journal of Managed Care: A new study of nearly 78,000 HIV+ people diagnosed with coronavirus indicates that antiretroviral therapy (ART) medications may reduce a person’s risk of getting coronavirus and/or reduce the severity of the disease should they contract it. • Hollywood Reporter: Hugh Downs, the congenial broadcaster whose thousands of hours on network television included two decades on the ABC’s 20/20 and 9 years as the host of NBC’s Today Show, has died. He was 99. Downs also hosted the game show Concentration for nearly a decade as well as five years as announcer and side-kick to Jack Paar on The Tonight Show. • Reuters: Democrat Joe Biden edged out Republican Donald Trump in fundraising for a second straight month in June, according to reports from the rival U.S. presidential campaigns. Biden and allied Democratic groups raked in over $141 million during the month, while Donald Trump and closely tied groups hauled $131 million. • Karen Chronicles: A Costco customer refused to wear a face mask while returning an item. So she staged a sit-in. For perspective, the second video shows you how a Black man was treated when he refused to wear a face mask. Please note the difference in how the two were treated.
Karen had enough. She performed a sit in at Costco after refusing to wear a mask. #costco
A Miami-Dade police officer was relieved of duty after body-camera footage surfaced Wednesday night of him hitting a woman who was yelling at him at Miami International Airport.
The video, obtained by the Miami Herald, shows a masked officer speaking to a Black woman in a terminal on Wednesday when she becomes irate and begins taunting him. “You acting like you white when you really Black…what you want to do?” the woman says.
The unmasked woman steps up to the man, putting her face right in his before he strikes her in the face. “She headbutted me,” he says as the officers rush in to handcuff her.
The officer has apparently been identified as Antonio Clemente Rodriguez, a Black officer of Puerto Rican heritage, who is currently assigned to the airport. The woman’s identity hasn’t been revealed to the public. Steadman Stahl, the president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association, told the Miami Herald the officer hit her with an “open-hand slap,” sometimes called a “diversionary strike.” I understand the woman got in the officer’s face but is sucker-punching her the answer? I thought he’s wearing a badge because he’s been trained to manage and de-escalate situations?
Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez III tweeted that he was “shocked and angered” by the video, and that in addition to relieving the officer of duty, he’s asked for an investigation into the incident.
I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that i just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty. Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in (1 of 3)…
— Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) July 2, 2020
I have also just spoken to our State Attorney @KathyFndzRundle and asked that her office immediately become involved in the investigation. (3 of 3)
— Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) July 2, 2020
Donald Trump The Associated Press reports the recent stretch of news regarding the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the lives of the world’s citizens coupled with the racial upheaval triggered by George Floyd’s death has resulted in CNN garnering its biggest audience for any three-month period in the network’s 40-year history. According to the Nielsen ratings, CNN’s weekday prime-time audience of 1.95 million was up 120% over the same period last year. Fox News saw a 43% increase pulling in an average of 4.07 million viewers, while MSNBC’s audience of 2.47 million was up 13% from 2019. Donald Trump, who rarely acknowledges actual facts and figures, routinely refers to CNN as “failing.” Sure, Jan… Even the moderator for CNN’s Twitter account for Public Relations finds the Donald to be exhausting in his perpetual lies.
Craig Ramsay (photo: Nathan Cox) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Craig Ramsay (above) celebrates Canada Day in his own inimitable style as shot by Palm Springs photographer Nathan Cox. • Pink News: A gay club in Atlanta has finally decided to close its doors until further notice, after a club night last weekend led to several partygoers contracting coronavirus. A video of the party at popular gay club Heretic in Atlanta, Georgia, was circulated on social media, showing hundreds of men dancing close together without masks. The number of new cases of COVID-19 has skyrocketed in Georgia in recent weeks. • NYC Pride: ICYMI, check out the soulful performance by trans artist/producer D. Smith for NYC Pride Month. The continually creative Smith, who among other recent achievements includes writing and producing Billy Porter’s #1 Billboard Club track, “Love Yourself,” picked up the mic to soothe virtual viewers with her richly-layered take on “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” If you like, click here to check out her latest music video, “That’s Why I Love You.”
• Broadway: Want to watch a Broadway legend dazzle on stage for an incredible cause? On July 10, theater fans will be able to watch Bernadette Peters in a never-before-seen-online concert to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The 2009 performance, Bernadette Peters: A Special Concert. will be free to stream here at 8pm ET. Donations are encouraged but not required for viewing. • CBS News: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that indoor dining won’t be allowed to resume when New York City reaches Phase 3 of reopening next week. It will be delayed “until the facts change and it is prudent to open,” he said. • The Independent: After more than 48K new cases of coronavirus in the US were announced on Tuesday (the highest number since the pandemic began), Donald Trump repeated his belief that the coronavirus is going to “just disappear.” “I think we’re gonna be very good with the coronavirus. I think that at some point that’s going to, sort of, just disappear — I hope,” Mr. Trump told Fox Business on Wednesday.
Unbelievable. He’s still doing it. Trump is still – TODAY – claiming that the virus is going to magically disappear. I cannot believe that a human being could be this obtuse.pic.twitter.com/39lMlr6zGX
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 1, 2020
Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry (screen capture) Fox News anchor Ed Henry, a veteran of the Washington political scene, has been terminated after a complaint from a former employee led to an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct from years ago. Via CNN:
“On Thursday, June 25, we received a complaint about Ed Henry from a former employee’s attorney involving willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago,” Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace wrote in an email to employees.
Scott and Wallace said that Henry was “suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities” while a third-party law firm investigated the matter.
“Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated,” they said.
Here’s the internal memo announcing Henry’s termination. Henry jumped over to Fox News in 2011 after a 7-year stint at CNN. He most recently was co-anchoring three morning hours of news coverage for the network. In the spring of 2016, tabloid stories began circulating that Henry was having an extra-marital affair. Then-Fox News CEO at the time, Roger Ailes (of all people), went so far as to publicly criticize Henry, saying “this raises serious questions about Ed’s lack of judgment, especially given his position as a journalist.” Ironically, Henry’s departure now follows that of Ailes and one-time Fox News star Bill O’Reilly.
Fox News fires anchor Ed Henry after an investigation into a sexual misconduct allegation brought by a former employee at the network https://t.co/Wnnl2Nzi1x
Patricia and Mark McCloskey (screen capture) Some news items you might have missed: • Bear World Magazine: During a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has rightfully taken up space on our news feeds, a conversation has opened up again in Bear spaces about the lack of diversity and inclusion, and the silence of White gays when it comes to the lives of Black people and People of Color. But, it’s a conversation that many White Bears still seem to not want to have. • Local10: In early April, openly gay Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy Shannon Bennett was the first South Florida first responder to be killed by COVID-19. His family was crushed by the loss. Now, they feel like they’ve been dealt another blow after the AIG insurance company denied their claim for accidental death in the line of duty. • NY Post: Mark and Patricia McCloskey (above), the St. Louis lawyers who brandished an AR-15-style rifle and a silver-colored handgun at protesters marching past their home on Sunday, are being investigated for possible criminal charges. The couple insists they were “victims” of threatening trespassers who entered a gated community. Nothing says ‘tough’ as much as a pink polo shirt tucked into a pair of khakis, no?
• AOL: Remembering back to 1993 when Mattel released ‘Earring Magic Ken,’ the accidentally gay version of Barbie’s bf that was just about every ’90s gay stereotype in a chiseled hunk of plastic. • Washington Blade: Amid concerns the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City may close due the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Gill Foundation announced on Sunday it will match contributions of up to $250,000 to protect the business from closure. • Twitter: This Dallas-area ‘Karen’ threw a temper tantrum when she was told she had too many items for the Express lane. She also refused (surprise!) to wear the face mask she’s holding in her hand. #smh
The cast of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ (via Instagram) GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has announced the nominees for its first separate Dorian TV Awards. The Pop network comedy Schitt’s Creek leads the pack with 7 nominations, while Hollywood — Netflix’s ambitious, star-studded reimagining of Tinseltown’s early days — says hooray to six nods. HBO’s fact-based TV movie Bad Education and daring miniseries Watchmen have four Dorian nominations each. One series that definitely breaks the mold is CBS All Access’ The Good Fight, the tense, socially relevant and increasingly inventive drama set at a Black-run law firm in Chicago. Fight is up for Best TV Drama (as well as Best Unsung TV Show) alongside Netflix’s ever-polished Brit royals opus The Crown and tricky-couple crime drama Ozark, and two other twisty morality tales, AMC networks’ Killing Eve and Better Call Saul. In addition to Creek — a previous Dorian Award winner when GALECA combined its film and TV kudos in one package — the Best TV Comedy contenders include three past Dorian Award nominees: Insecure (HBO), Better Things (FX) and The Good Place (NBC). Competing against them are Netflix’s gallows-humored, female-powered mystery-comedy Dead to Me (stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini vie for Best TV Performance — Actress) and FX’s bloody-fun vampire comedy, What We Do in the Shadows (which counts two additional nods). The Best TV Movie or Limited Series race is lively, with each nominee offering a bold, controversial approach to an ever-burning topic. HBO’s comic book fantasy Watchmen aggressively tackles themes of white supremacy and police brutality, the same network’s fact-based TV film Bad Education exposes greed and corruption (in public schools, no less), and FX’s ‘70s-set historical drama Mrs. America, produced by and starring double-nominee Cate Blanchett, shows how far we have not come, baby, in regards to advancing women’s rights. Also in the mix: Hulu shows Little Fires Everywhere (dealing with inherent racism) and Normal People (sex—lots of it). Although the miniseries Hollywood, from bad boy producer Ryan Murphy, didn’t make that short list, it did nab four acting nominations as well as ones for LGBTQ Show of the Year and Visually Striking Show. Other cinematic eye-fillers in the latter race include the likes of Disney+’s The Mandalorian and HBO’s Westworld. And no Dorian Awards list would be complete without GALECA’s trademark category, Campiest TV Show. Vying for that cheeky honor are Hulu’s royal romp The Great, perennial members favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1), and Netflix hmmm-inducers AJ and the Queen, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings and a certain expose of some exotic Oklahomans and Floridians, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Via its original banner Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, GALECA’s Dorian Awards have gone to the best of all of film and TV — not only LGBTQ-themed — since 2010. While this year marks the inaugural Dorian TV Awards, this is actually the 11th go-around for members voting on their best-loved TV programs and stars. TV winners will be announced on August 21, when the Society will also name the recipient of its first “You Deserve an Award!” Award, going to what the group deems “a uniquely talented TV icon (they) adore.” In full disclosure, as I’ve noted before, I am a voting member of GALECA.2019-20 DORIAN TV AWARDS NOMINEES — FULL LIST*BEST TV DRAMA Better Call Saul (AMC) Killing Eve (BBC America/AMC) Ozark (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) The Good Fight (CBS All Access) BEST TV COMEDY Better Things (FX) Dead to Me (Netflix) Insecure (HBO) Schitt’s Creek (Pop) The Good Place (NBC) What We Do in the Shadows (FX) BEST TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES Bad Education (HBO) Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu) Mrs. America (FX/Hulu) Normal People (Hulu) Watchmen (HBO) BEST TV PERFORMANCE – ACTRESS Christina Applegate, Dead to Me (Netflix) Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America (FX/Hulu) Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me (Netflix) Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America/AMC) Regina King, Watchmen (HBO) Laura Linney, Ozark (Netflix) Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek (Pop) BEST TV PERFORMANCE – ACTOR Hugh Jackman, Bad Education (HBO) Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek (Pop) Paul Mescal, Normal People (Hulu) Jeremy Pope, Hollywood (Netflix) Ramy Youssef, Ramy (Hulu) BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE – ACTRESS Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America (FX/Hulu) Julia Garner, Ozark (Netflix) Allison Janney, Bad Education (HBO) Patti LuPone, Hollywood (Netflix) Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek (Pop) Jean Smart, Watchmen (HBO) BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCE – ACTOR Billy Crudup, The Morning Show (Apple TV+) Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows (FX) Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek (Pop) Joe Mantello, Hollywood (Netflix) Josh O’Connor, The Crown (Netflix) Jim Parsons, Hollywood (Netflix) BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE Cynthia Erivo, “Stand Up”, 92nd Academy Awards (ABC) Jake Gyllenhaal, “Music, Music Everywhere!”, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix) Jennifer Lopez & Shakira, Halftime Show, Super Bowl LIV (Fox) Janelle Monáe & Billy Porter, Opening Number, 92nd Academy Awards (ABC) Noah Reid, “Always Be My Baby”, Schitt’s Creek (Pop) BEST LGBTQ TV SHOW Bad Education (HBO) Hollywood (Netflix) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) Schitt’s Creek (Pop) Vida (Starz) We’re Here (HBO) Work in Progress (Showtime) BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM Cheer (Netflix) The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) Visible: Out on Television (Apple TV+) BEST UNSUNG TV SHOW Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform) Gentified (Netflix) The Good Fight (CBS All Access) Mrs. Fletcher (HBO) One Day at a Time (Pop) Vida (Starz) What We Do in the Shadows (FX) Work in Progress (Showtime) MOST VISUALLY STRIKING SHOW Hollywood (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) The Mandalorian (Disney+) Watchmen (HBO) Westworld (HBO) CAMPIEST TV SHOW AJ and the Queen (Netflix) Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings (Netflix) The Great (Hulu) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (Netflix) WILDE WIT AWARD (Honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse) Dan Levy Randy Rainbow Hannah Gadsby Cate Blanchett Trevor Noah (via press release)
Henry jumped over to Fox News in 2011 after a 7-year stint at CNN. He most recently was co-anchoring three morning hours of news coverage for the network. In the spring of 2016, 
