Billy Porter (right) on the set of ‘Pose’ (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Emmy Award winner Billy Porter (above) looks euphoric as the cast of Pose begins working on Season 3. “I couldn’t be more excited to be back on set with my @poseonfx family today to start shooting season 3 of this show that I’m so proud to be a part of. I can’t wait for y’all to see what we have in store for you this season – it’s going to be epic hennies!” • Washington Post: Bipartisan congressional negotiators reached an agreement today on a roughly $8 billion emergency spending bill to combat the coronavirus, hoping to send it to Donald Trump’s desk by the end of the week. The deal must still be voted on by the House later Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday. • New Music: Loving the latest from Malia Civetz, “Broke Boy,” a gospel-tinged, pop bop that finds Civetz extolling her guy’s assets even if they aren’t financial. Her raise-the-roof, full-throated vocals paired with a body-positive/sex-positive message is definitely a winning combination. I think we’ll be hearing a lot from the powerhouse vocalist. “I love my broke boy…there’s no credit card that’s gonna buy my heart, cuz I gave it all to a broke boy.”
• Cape Town: Two teen boys, aged 14 and 17, allegedly gang-raped a lesbian over the weekend in an attempt to ‘correct’ her sexuality just a day before the annual Cape Town Pride Festival on Saturday. • NBC News: After failing to win any states on Super Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is reportedly “assessing” her path forward. Her campaign manager sent an email to staff Wednesday morning, saying that they are “disappointed” in the Super Tuesday results and that Warren will be “going to take time right now to think through the right way to continue this fight.” • Dazed: Straight men, like InstaHunk Ryan Yule (below), are apparently joining content-hosting fan sites like OnlyFans making soft porn for gay men. Yule makes a strong case for doing so: “I used to have a wank and wouldn’t get paid for it, and now, I get paid for it.” He reportedly has 250 subscribers at $15 a month. Minus the site’s 20 percent fee, that adds up to about $3,000 a month.
Some news items you might have missed: • Super Tuesday: Fourteen states are holding primaries or caucusing for the Democratic presidential candidate today, so make sure you get out and vote! Interesting factoid: CBS News reports early exit polling shows slightly more voters in Super Tuesday states want a return to Obama’s policies rather than more liberal policies. • The Advocate: Donald Trump’s Justice Department is weighing in on the side of a Kentucky photographer who doesn’t want to provide services to same-sex weddings, continuing its history under the Trump administration of supporting discrimination. Chelsey Nelson, a photographer in Louisville, filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court against the city challenging its LGBTQ-inclusive Fairness Ordinance. Note – has never been asked to photograph a same-sex couple’s wedding. • NowThis News: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed a bill Monday banning conversion therapy for minors. According to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that tracks LGBTQ+ legislation, Virginia will become the 20th state — and the first in the South — to ban the controversial therapy for minors. • The Verge: Apple has tentatively agreed to a $500 million settlement after admitting to slowing down older phones. It covers people who bought any product in the iPhone 6 and 7 lineup — which Apple secretly throttled to conserve battery life. By default, Apple will offer $25 to any current or former owner of a covered iPhone. Named class members will receive $1,500 or $3,500. • NewNowNext: Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a number of new amendments to the country’s Constitution, including one that would define marriage as between “a man and a woman.” Last month, he said same-sex marriage will not be permitted in the country as long as he is president. • KHOU: After Pete Buttigieg announced he was ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden told reporters he would definitely approach the former mayor of South Bend to take a role in his administration.
L-R Aaron Schock & Eliad Cohen (photo via Rob Shuter) The city of Rio de Janeiro was full of LGBTQ travelers from all over the world last week for the annual Carnaval celebrations. The event, known for sexy costumes, rowdy fun and beautiful people everywhere you look. The siren call of Carnaval even drew disgraced, totally-not-gay former Congressman Aaron Schock down to the sun and fun along with other well-known gays. Naughty But Nice gossip guy Rob Shuter shared a few pics of Schock getting cozy with woofy Israeli actor and circuit party promoter Eliad Cohen at the plush Fasano Hotel. In the above photo, Schock gives Cohen a hand with sunscreen, and below took a few snaps of Cohen relaxing at the rooftop pool of the Fasano.
Now, to be clear, I don’t have a problem with anyone living their best life. But – Schock still has an issue with the gay community for the anti-LGBTQ political positions and votes he cast while in Congress including voting against the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and opposing same-sex marriage. The only reason that came to an end was when criminal charges were brought against him for using campaign funds for re-decorating his Congressional office a la Downton Abbey, taking expensive trips on the taxpayer’s dime and buying pricey gifts. The charges were eventually dropped in an agreement which includes Schock repaying $68,000 to his congressional campaign fund and $42,000 to the IRS in exchange for dropping all felony charges against him. Since then, he’s been seen kissing guys at Coachella with his hands down their pants, tipping go-go boys in Mexico, frolicking on the beach with a wanna-be ‘Insta-Influencer,’ and even had his selfie pics and video leaked to the internet. The community still feels if he wants to be embraced, he still needs to address his political past when he took aim at the LGBTQ community. When Schock attended an evening last September at a popular West Hollywood bar, drag queen Jonnie Reinhart spoke to him about his anti-gay past. At the time, he told Reinhart he was working on “putting out a statement.” Well, how long does it take to draft that statement? It’s five months later, gurl, tick-tock. It is curious that Cohen, a gay celebrity in the dance party world due to his celebrated Papa Party events, wouldn’t know (or care?) about Schock’s less-than-loving treatment of the community. As Rob Shuter asked in his report, “What message is Cohen sending to his 1.3 million gay followers by embracing someone like Schock who has yet to apologize for his anti-gay past?”
Chris Matthews (screen capture) Color me stunned. For years I have watched MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews. It comes on at 4pm in my time zone, and that times out well with my work schedule and I can catch up on news I might have missed. I like Chris, although he’s gotten a bit flint-ier in recent years, but he’s smart, experienced, and I liked the pace of the show. As I tuned in today, Chris announced at the top of the show he was retiring. Like, now. He spoke for about two minutes, told his audience he will miss them but after a conversation with network heads, he decided to retire today. He spoke of his love of politics, apologized for any comments he has made about women, and then he abruptly left. Cut to commercial. He seemed to reference the report by writer Laura Bassett who penned an essay last week accusing Matthew of flirting with her in 2016. Bassett wrote that before an appearance on Hardball she was in the makeup chair next to him when he allegedly said, “Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?” After the commercial break, Steve Kornacki was on camera looking stunned and said “we have to fill the hour.” Stunning moment in television.
And here's the shot when the commercial break ended and the camera cut to a stunned Steve Kornacki, who was obviously not prepared for Chris Matthews' announcement, nor to fill in the hour of airtime when #Hardball would usually run. pic.twitter.com/idqhwvi3rl
THAT WAS IT. Chris Mathews is out of the building. @SteveKornacki runs to the desk, in tears, voice breaking with "I'm shocked. We'll take another break."#Hardball
While fears and the number of coronavirus cases keep growing, Donald Trump held a rally and Mike Pence – who the president put in charge of the government’s response – held a fundraiser. There are now 64 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States (over 85,000 worldwide) and the stock market lost over 3,500 points in one week, but Trump told his rally attendees that rising fears about the impending crisis is merely a ‘hoax’ brought by the Democrats. “Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” Trump said. “They have no clue, they can’t even count their votes in Iowa.” “This is their new hoax,” Trump continued, adding that attacking Trump’s response to the coronavirus is now the Democratic Party’s “single talking point.” Watch the brief report from Brian Williams below.
(image via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) thinks he looks ‘thick’ in this pic??? If only I were so ‘thick.’ Follow Joe on Instagram here. #beardgoals • New York Times: Stocks tumbled for a seventh consecutive day on Friday, with the S&P 500 index falling about 0.8 percent, bringing its loss for the week to more than 11 percent. It was the worst weekly decline for stocks since the 2008 financial crisis. • Washington Post: California has a second case of community transmission of the coronavirus, a 65-year-old resident of Santa Clara County who has no known history of travel to countries hit hard by the outbreak, people familiar with the case said Friday. There is also no apparent connection between the new patient and anyone else with the disease caused by the covid-19 virus. • KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the what’s what in local gay publications like Matt Spike on the cover of London’s QX Magazine (below). (via QX Magazine) • WDRB: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear defended a photograph of him posing with drag queens at a gay rights rally and accused a Republican lawmaker of using homophobic tactics by displaying the photo at a recent campaign rally while accusing Democrats of corrupting traditional values. Beshear, a Democrat, told reporters Thursday that he would pose for the photo again, saying he was practicing his faith to treat everyone with respect. • ABC News: A 19-year-old was taking a video of herself with a gun when she allegedly shot her 10-year-old nephew in the abdomen by accident, according to Texas authorities. Caitlyn Smith, 19, has been arrested and charged with serious bodily injury to a child — a second-degree felony. • New Music: Lady Gaga released “Stupid Love,” the first single off her highly anticipated sixth studio album. The single is accompanied by a music video that was shot entirely on an iPhone 11 Pro and directed by Daniel Askill. The not-so-good news: the music video is kinda silly, the costumes look like something out of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and the choreography is just so-so. The good news: Gaga is back in dance mode a la “Born This Way.” Her vocals are on point, the bop has serious bounce, and it’s all joy and love. This is one of those I’d rather listen to than watch 🙂
Admit it – you knew this story was coming. From the New York Post:
Some American beer drinkers are avoiding Corona, the beer, amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak, according to a new survey. A surprising 38 percent of beer drinkers insisted that they would not, under any circumstances, buy Corona as the deadly virus spreads across the globe, according to the survey conducted by 5W Public Relations.
“There is no question that Corona beer is suffering because of the coronavirus,” Ronn Torossian, founder of 5WPR, said in a statement.
In fact, 14 percent of respondents who said they regularly consume Corona beer admitted in the survey they would not order the beverage in public. There was also some confusion as 16 percent of those surveyed said they were not sure whether the virus is related to Corona beer.
38% of Americans wouldn't buy Corona beer "under any circumstances" because of the coronavirus, according to a recent survey.
Just to be abundantly clear: There is no link between the virus and the beer. https://t.co/D8fL89Oe0E
(image via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Handsome Ignacio Pérez Rey (above) sums up France: “Nice is NICE!” Follow the world traveler on Instagram here. • LGBTQ Nation: A trans woman was shot at a gas station by a man shouting anti-trans epithets. But a judge ignored state law and ruled that it wasn’t a hate crime. • KWWL: The Iowa Democratic Party announced the results of the limited-scope recount requests from the Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders campaigns. The recount process resulted in no change to the National Delegate allocation. Pete Buttigieg has 14 national delegates, Sanders has 12. As a result of the recount, county-level delegate allocation changed in 19 precincts. • Out Music: Check out the new music video “Revival” from Broadway actor/singer Juwan Crawley (Aladdin). As a gay black man, Juwan started writing music as a response to the epidemic of police brutality towards and killings of innocent black Americans and has since used it as a platform for the values he holds dear. He continues to write music to express that which tethers us together: self-love, spirituality… and just f*cking fun.
• Gaily Grind: A disturbing cell phone video has been making the rounds on social media showing a Texas high school student viciously beating a transgender classmate. • Pew Research: About two-thirds of Americans (66%) feel worn out by the amount of news there is, while far fewer (32%) say they like the amount of news they are getting, according to a survey of more than 12,000 U.S. adults conducted in October and November of last year. • MSNBC: Democratic White House hopeful Mike Bloomberg tells Kasie Hunt in a new interview airing tomorrow morning on Morning Joe he intends to stay in the race “right to the bitter end.”
“I am going to stay right to the bitter end, as long as I have a chance,” @MikeBLoomberg tells @Kasie in an exclusive interview. “If Bernie Sanders were to get a majority, then of course not…you got to be in it to win it.”
Sadly, I remember all too well covering the story of young Gabriel Fernandez’s death – a horrifying case of an 8-year-old boy who was murdered by his own mother and her sadistic boyfriend. According to many reports at the time, he was tortured over and over because the boyfriend believed Gabriel to be gay. Not only were the duo prosecuted for their crimes, but charges were brought against four social workers who had checked on Gabriel over months and months but appeared to have done nothing to help Gabriel. “Looking away when you have the power to make a difference – that is true evil.” Witness an unflinching look at the case that put the system on trial. On Netflix now.
