Category: Round-Up

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News Round-Up: December 16, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • Reddit: Hottie David Beckham (above) has a really, really nice…watch. • NY Times: The latest developments on the impeachment of Donald Trump. • Philadelphia Inquirer: Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew announced last week his intention to switch parties and become a Republican after less than a year in office. Voter fraud might be rare, but Van Drew has essentially defrauded people who voted him in. • NBC News: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) isn’t even pretending to be an impartial juror. “I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.” Please note: Senate rules require members to take a specific oath before an impeachment trial gets underway: “I solemnly swear (or affirm) that in all things appertaining to the trial of ____, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.” • Washington Post: U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of Washington, D.C. rejected Michael Flynn’s attacks against the FBI and the Justice Department, setting a long-delayed sentencing for President Trump’s former national security adviser for Jan. 28. • LA Times: The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a major case on homelessness, letting stand a ruling that protects homeless people’s right to sleep on the sidewalk or in public parks if no other shelter is available. • Politico: Congress is on the verge of a sweeping health care reform – Federally prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to people under 21. • PBS News Hour poll: Biden leads with 24%, followed closely by Sanders at 22%. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is third with 17%, followed by South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 13%, all together making up a clear top tier of four candidates. • Christmas Music: Faith Hill’s “Where Are You Christmas?” from the soundtrack of the 2000 holiday film, Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,  co-written by James Horner and Will Jennings. Christmas and pop power ballad (with a big ole key change) all in one. What’s not to like?

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News Round-Up: December 13, 2019

Three bearded police officers from Norfolk Police Dept

Three bearded police officers from Norfolk Police Dept
(image via Norfolk Police Department)
Some news items you might have missed: • WSET: The Norfolk Police Department has updated its uniform policy to allow officers to grow a beard and openly display tattoos while on-duty. So, if you see me speeding through Norfolk, you know why 🙂 • The Verge: YouTube announced an expansion of its anti-harassment policy that will ban video creators from insulting individuals or inciting violence against people on the basis of their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation. But will YouTube enforce the new rules? • Bloomberg News: The share of credit card borrowers who are at least 90 days past due on their accounts will probably tick up to 2.01% next year, the highest level since 2010. • KIT212: Kenneth has the low-down on the what’s what happening the gay rags across the country. • Gaily Grind: The Senate voted to confirm homophobic nominee Lawrence VanDyke to serve as a Ninth Circuit appeals court judge, despite being rated as “not qualified” by the American Bar Association (ABA) over concerns of anti-LGBTQ past. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only GOP ‘no’ in a 51-44 vote. • Washington Blade: The Screen Actors Guild has announced the nominees for its 2019 awards presentation, and like the Golden Globes nominations earlier this week, there are multiple nods for projects with LGBTQ-relevant content and performers. • ESPN: Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced Thursday to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players’ association. • Tweet of the Day: After Donald Trump trolled 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg, saying she need to “work on her anger management” and should “chill,” former First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted her encouragement. #GodILoveHer

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News Round-Up: December 11, 2019

Josh Rimer, left, with his fiancée Heath
Some news items you might have missed: • Gay Cities: A gay Canadian man was denied the chance to have his wedding at a Sheraton hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, because the staff did not want to host a ceremony with two men. Marriott International later apologized saying, “We will focus not only on getting it right for our guest, but also take a closer look at policies and training at the property level, doing all we can to prevent hurtful experiences like this from happening again.” • Washington Blade: The U.S. Senate approved on Tuesday an openly gay federal prosecutor named by President Trump for a seat on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, making him the highest-ranking openly gay federal judge in the country. • Gaily Grind: The runner who slapped a TV reporter’s behind during a live broadcast of a race on Saturday has been identified by online sleuths as a local youth minister and Boy Scout leader, according to multiple news outlets.

• Axios: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told CNN on Wednesday that he’s “very much torn” on voting to convict President Trump in a Senate impeachment trial. • NY Times: I can’t explain it, but I’m over the moon that after 37 years Vanna White is hosting Wheel of Fortune for a few weeks (in a glass ceiling breaking moment) while Pat Sajak recovers from emergency surgery. • Stereogum: Every winter, Cyndi Lauper hosts her all-star Home For The Holiday benefit raising money for LGBTQ youth homelessness. Last night, Lauper headlined the 2019 edition of the show at the Novo for the event’s first year in Los Angeles. Lauper performed alongside people like Kesha, King Princess, Perry Farrell, Lily Tomlin, Belinda Carlisle, and the awesome Henry Rollins of Black Flag fame.

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News Round-Up: December 10, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Men’s Variety reminds us (above) that even on tiresome Tuesdays, dogs rule. Oh, and the sleeping guy is hot, too. • Merriam-Webster: The online dictionary has named the gender-neutral pronoun “they” their Word of the Year. Noting that “they” has often been used to refer to one person whose gender identity is nonbinary, lookups for the word has increased by 313% in 2019 over the previous year. • Yahoo News: The man who purchased Olivia Newton-John’s famous black leather jacket featured in the finale of GREASE surprised the international pop star by re-gifting the jacket to her. He told her it belongs to her “and the collective soul of those who love her.” He requested that it be displayed at her hospital in Australia. • Fox Business: The U.S. government deficit spiked 12 percent to $342 billion during the first two months of fiscal year 2020, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office. The federal deficit was $587 billion when President Trump took office in January 2017, and had ballooned to $984 billion in 2019. • BBC: Homophobic Australian rugby player Israel Folau and Rugby Australia have reportedly agreed to a hefty settlement after terminating his contract last April when he posted “Hell Awaits” gay people and other hateful messages on his social media. • CNN: New York City has reached a major goal against HIV/AIDS two years ahead of schedule. The target, originally set for 2020 by UNAIDS known as 90-90-90, represents the percentage of people with HIV who know their status, who are on treatment and whose viral load is suppressed. New York officials say as of 2018, 93% of people with HIV have gotten a diagnosis, 90% are on treatment and 92% of those on treatment are virally suppressed. • Twitter: A video clip posted to Ricky Martin’s Instagram Story went viral as the Latin hunk got handsy with himself.

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News Round-Up: December 7, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • Instahunks: Fashion designer Daniel Sheehan calls his white t-shirt the ‘sexiest basic’ you’ll own, but I don’t see anything ‘basic’ in this pic (above). • Newsweek: The Hallmark Channel has yet to produce any gay-themed Christmas movies, but a petition launched by outraged evangelicals is aimed at thwarting any future attempts at making a film with LGBTQ themes or characters. • The Hill: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) – “The President doesn’t give a shit about what’s good for our country, what’s good for Ukraine. It’s all about what’s in it for him personally and for his reelection campaign.” • Advocate: A Republican congressman has introduced a bill he positions as a compromise answer to the Equality Act, but it includes broad religious exemptions. • Twitter: Donald Trump said today that “it is wrong” that “laws allow a baby to be born from his or her mother’s womb in the 9th month.” #WhoWantsToTellHim?

• Instinct Magazine: For the first time since the HIV/AIDS crisis began, 2019 saw more straight men in Western Australia diagnosed with HIV than their gay peers. • CNBC: Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to void a subpoena from the House that seeks the president’s financial records from his accounting firm. #WhatIsHeHiding? • Playbill: Tony and Oscar nominee Adam Driver (Burn This, BlacKKKlansman) sings “Being Alive” from Company in Marriage Story. Driver sings the iconic Stephen Sondheim tune as his character, Charlie, is coming to terms with having to rely on himself, to stay strong, to be alone in the next phase of his life.

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News Round-Up: December 6, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Celebrating the latest trip around the sun by my hot hubby, Michael, here in Puerto Vallarta. • Advocate: A Florida man is facing felony charges of child abandonment after dropping his underage son off at a closed police station. A police report indicated the man believed his son was gay and told him the police would find him a new home. • CNN: Former Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he would consider Sen. Kamala Harris as a potential running mate, a day after she dropped out of the presidential race. “Of course I would. Sen. Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely. I talked to her yesterday. She’s solid, she can be president someday herself, she can be vice president, she could go on to be a Supreme Court justice, she could be attorney general. I mean she has enormous capability.” • Desert Sun: Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful wall” was easily scaled by two men in Mexicali.

• KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the latest what’s what in gay rags across the country. • Slate: A mother wrote in asking for advice after realizing her son shares the same name as a ‘prolific’ porn star. She wonders if she should change his name worrying possible employers might Google the name and think the adult performer is her son. The son says he’s good, btw. • One more ‘hey’ from Puerto Vallarta: Hope you all have an awesome weekend 🙂

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News Round-Up: December 2, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Wes Dupree (above) answers the eternal Sondheimian question “Does anyone still wear a hat?” • The Atlantic: John McWhorter does a better job expressing what I tried to say last week about that Pete Buttigieg ‘Lying MF’ hit piece essay. • NY Post: A woman in Brazil was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing her gay son to death after the hitmen she hired didn’t get it done. • Tweet of the Day: Paul Rudnick re-captions this photo from the White House in perfect form.

• White House: For the third year in a row, Donald Trump did not mention LGBTQ people in his World AIDS Day proclamation. It goes without saying that, while not a ‘gay’ disease, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects LGBTQ people. • The Hill: Donald Trump loves to nickname his political opponents and he’s decided the latest entrant in the Democratic primary will be called “Mini Mike Bloomberg.” For the record, Bloomberg is 5’8″ tall. • Esquire: Still handsome, confident and charming at 82, Billy Dee Williams comes out as gender fluid in a new interview. Williams returns to the role of ‘Lando Calrissian’ in the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. • Christmas Music: From the “required-listening” classic holiday album,  Barbra Streisand – A Christmas Album (1967).

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News Round-Up: November 29, 2019

Instahunks Justin and Nick
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Often, holidays don’t go quite as you planned. Justin and Nick (above) share that their Thanksgiving is starting a day late after Nick was called into work unexpectedly. Sometimes, couples have to rock and roll a bit. • KIT212: Kenneth has the low-down on the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications across the country. • The Gaily Grind: Kid Rock was dragged off-stage at his own Tennesee bar after a racist tirade about Oprah. • Instinct: The internet goes ga-ga over viral video of two gay men finding out they’re about to become da-das. • AskGayBros: A thread on Reddit inquires about advice or issues to discuss in exploring a couple’s possible first three-some. • Washington Blade: Four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening says she’s ‘very, very proud’ of her transgender son. • NewNowNext: Jonathan James offers his insights into becoming a gay pup: “I always compare being a pup to being a drag queen: No two queens are the same.” • Cover Song: I admit to giving a side-eye to the idea of covering The Boss, but I have to say Darren Criss’ funk cover of “Dancing in the Dark” lands for me. Take a listen and let me know what you think. Happy Friday, everyone!

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News Round-Up: November 26, 2019

InstaHunk Max Souza is looking fierce

InstaHunk Max Souza is looking fierce Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: When the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades, you might be hottie Max Souza (above). • NZ Herald: Ken Miller and his husband Jason Brumbaugh moved to New Zealand two years ago and bought a restaurant, Saluté, that became the target of local homophobia. Then, an online review of the small-town restaurant raved about the food and denounced the homophobia sparking a nationwide wave of support for its owners. • The Gaily Grind: Actress Jamie Lee Curtis said in a new interview that she “fully accepts outing” hypocritical politicians that pass “anti-gay legislation.” And I’m totally with her. • Boy Culture: First a hit novel, then a movie, and in 2020 will become ‘The Series,’ Matt Rettenmund is releasing a 25th Anniversary Edition of his book, Boy Culture. Click here for the backstory on the novel, a cavalcade of sexy covers from all the international iterations of the book, plus a link to buy the new, updated edition. Congrats, Matt! • PEOPLE: First lady Melania Trump was met with a “resounding chorus of loud boos” from middle and high schoolers as soon as she walked on stage at an opioid awareness event on Tuesday. • Advocate: For her decades of activism with LGBTQ youth, Cyndi Lauper will be awarded the inaugural High Note Global Prize presented by the United Nations Human Rights and the High Note Global Initiative at her annual Home for the Holidays concert on December 10. • JustJared: Wendy Williams denied she’s gay telling her audience today, “I am no lesbian. I like women for friendship. I like men and I like the D.” • Instagram: Madonna had ‘a moment’ with out rapper Lil Nas X at the Wiltern Theater during the residency of her Madame X tour in Los Angeles.

 

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Is happy to Share her last name ❌ and a beer 🍺 with @lilnasx #madamextheatre #thewiltern

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