Category: Round-Up

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News Round-Up: August 28, 2020

Singer/songwriter NIKO (via official website)
Some news items you might have missed: • Out Music: Randy Report favorite NIKO (above) releases his latest single, “Try,” a romantic, intimate anthem dedicated to his partner. With dreamy synths and soft beats, NIKO tells an autobiographical story about overcoming obstacles and finding love. Hit the play button below to check out “Try,” and you can find my previous coverage of the talented artist here.

• Vice: Former classmates of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who is charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, say he was known as a “ride or die” Trump supporter. “If you said anything bad about Trump, he’d threaten you. Kyle was the type of kid to wear a MAGA hat or other apparel just for attention, or to ‘trigger’ people.” • New York Post: Reviewing Donald Trump’s “longest in convention history” speech – “There was no flow, no argument, no central core. He praised himself and he attacked Joe Biden, just as you’d expect. But he didn’t build a case for himself or a case against Biden — and it’s the construction of such cases that provide the dramatic structure a major speech needs to engage both the head and the heart. For someone who relishes drama, Trump provided none.” • Politico: A former Liberty University student says Becki Falwell, the wife of the school’s then-President Jerry Falwell Jr., jumped into bed with him and performed oral sex on him while he stayed over at the Falwell home after a band practice with her eldest son in 2008. The student, who was 22 at the time of the encounter, said she initiated the act. She then pursued the young man in text messages, and yes, there are screen captures. • Yahoo Sports: The Mets and Marlins took the field last night for only a 42-second moment of silence – most probably in honor of Jackie Robinson – before leaving in solidarity. The only thing left on the field – a Black Lives Matter shirt.

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News Round-Up: August 14, 2020

(screen capture via HBO)
Some news stories you might have missed: • NPR: A new survey from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows more than a third of Americans (35%) say they won’t get vaccinated when a vaccine comes available; 60% say they will. The poll also indicates former Vice President Joe Biden now leads Donald Trump 53% to 42%, up from an 8-point advantage at the end of June. • Instinct Magazine: From the director of Call Me By Your Name, HBO announces We Are Who We Are (screen cap above), premiering September 14, a new coming-of-age story about two American teenagers who live on an American military base with their parents in Italy.

• Billings Gazette: Kanye West’s sad, inconsequential bid for the White House is being funded/directed by the Trump campaign to siphon off Black votes from Joe Biden. “You want to help Trump?” one of the organizers called out. “We’re trying to take votes away from creepy Uncle Joe.” • KIT212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications like Get Out!’s latest issue encouraging folks to ‘Flex Your Vote.’

(via GetOut!)
• Variety: AMC Theatres, for one day only, will offer tickets to select movies for only 15 cents, roughly the equivalent of what it cost to watch a movie in 1920. That’s the year that the company’s founders began operations in Kansas City, Missouri. Note – the offer will be for legacy titles such as “Black Panther” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” • Twitter: Out Teen Wolf/Arrow star Colton Haynes has put in his bid to play the super-hero Iceman in the upcoming reboot of the X-Men movie franchise after hearing rumors Shia LeBeouf was being vetted for the role. Haynes shared a gif of the mutant hero with an emoji of a young guy raising his hand. I totally see Haynes in the role.

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News Round-Up: August 11, 2020

Garrett Magee and his big…rooster on Bravo’s ‘Backyard Envy’
Some news stories you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Don’t miss Garrett Magee (above) and company in a new episode of Backyard Envy tonight. Garrett says “tune in for gardening tips, drama, and a big 🐓.” • Out: A 57-year-old man was disowned by his 90-year-old father after the dad discovered his son was gay. “It’s about this homosexuality,” McPherson recalled his father saying. “Your mother and I can’t condone that. You are not to contact us in any way ever again.” • Instinct Magazine: A gay man was denied entry to an Arkansas casino because he was carrying a bag the resort deemed a “purse.” Y’all, it wasn’t that big AND it was Louis Vuitton. They should welcome the guy – he has money to spend. • Tampa Bay Times: Florida logged a new record for the most coronavirus deaths announced in a day with 277 on Tuesday. Tuesday’s record brought the statewide death toll to 8,685 people, according to the Florida Department of Health. #SoMuchWinning • Edge Media: A British heterosexual couple was sentenced in connection with a plot to blackmail a husband and father who had been “struggling” with his sexuality. After extorting over £5,000, the victim went to the police. • Out Music: A new artist to me, London based pop singer Le Fil, drops his latest single and music video, “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.” The upbeat, colorful video pairs well with the catchy hook and 60s-inspired harmonies.

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News Round-Up: July 30, 2020

Phillip Evelyn II (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Phillip Evelyn II (above) is giving you full-on Ninja-ness in this post. #Dang Follow him on the Gram of Insta here. • Pink News: A homophobe in South Dakota went on a profanity-heavy anti-gay rant while burning an LGBTQ Pride flag during a Facebook video. The local district attorney says he won’t be pursuing hate crime charges despite the video. • CBS News: President Barack Obama’s powerful eulogy at the funeral of the late civil rights leader, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), was perfection. Obama said Americans should honor Lewis’ legacy by continuing to work for democracy and voting rights. “He, as much as anyone in our history, brought this country a little bit closer to our highest ideals.” Hit the play button to hear a president speak about someone other than themself (and in complete sentences).

• Courthouse News: Federal prosecutors have agreed to abandon the gag order against Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and current felon, Michael Cohen. Cohen is now free to use social media, participate in interviews, and release his Trump tell-all book, which is due go on sale in September. • Fox News: File this under ‘metaphors you could never make up.’ Vice President Mike Pence’s campaign bus collided with a dump truck today while stumping in Western Pennsylvania. • Gay Star News: International pop star Elton John shared the 30th anniversary of his sobriety with his Instagram followers writing, “If I hadn’t finally taken the big step of asking for help 30 years ago, I’d be dead. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the people who have inspired and supported me along the way.”

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News Round-Up: July 10, 2020

Snoopy the wonder dog
Some news items you might have missed: • Snoop Watch: Our new 14-year-old beagle rescue, Snoopy, is doing great (above). After having some tumors removed last week, he got some stitches out today. Plus, he had an adventure at PetSmart on the way home, so he’s a bit tuckered out. But awesome 🙂 • The Advocate: Have you heard the one about Brazil’s virulently homophobic president who was so resistant to wear a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic he told aides, “Masks are for fa**ots?” Oh, and then he tested positive for COVID-19. #LifeComesAtYouFast • KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the best of local LGBTQ rags including this week’s Music Issue of California-based Gloss Magazine: • Instinct Magazine: Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhood, currently known as ‘Boystown,’ may get a new genderless moniker if a Change.org petition has its way. • Baltimore Sun: Packed elevators, crowded committee rooms, and legislators sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the House and Senate floor. All without a mask in sight. Those were common scenes at the Mississippi Capitol in June and now at least 26 lawmakers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in the biggest known outbreak in any state legislature in the nation. • Las Vegas: I’m so glad someone posted this video to YouTube so I can share it without linking to this idiot woman’s Facebook. ‘Las Vegas Karen’ and her friend came to my town, Las Vegas, and were gobsmacked to learn they have to wear masks around people. She refused and began Facebook Live streaming her exit where she declares face masks are worse than coronavirus and Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said they are ‘symbolic’ and don’t do anything useful (he didn’t say that). With security guards trying to escort them out, they protest how their constitutional rights are being violated (they aren’t) and how it’s illegal to require masks in casinos and restaurants (it’s not). Have you ever heard “No shirt, no shoes, no service?” Miss Karen, there’s no constitutional right to gamble in a casino…ok?

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News Round-Up: July 1, 2020

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.

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News Round-Up: June 30, 2020

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

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News Round-Up: June 23, 2020

Michael and I have been adopted by 14-year-old beagle rescue, Snoopy
Some news items you might have missed: • Dog Life: I wanted to share a new addition to our family here at The Randy Report,  the handsome Snoopy (above), a 14-year-old beagle rescue. After serious consideration, Michael and I decided we didn’t want Snoopy to live his last years without a forever family, and we feel that this journey will be completely different from our 23 years raising the ‘dachshund dynasty’ from puppyhood. Snoopy is settling in quite well, and we can’t wait to spoil him with attention and love. • ESPN: Thomas Beattie, a British former pro footballer for Warriors FC in Singapore, came out as gay in an essay for ESPN on Tuesday. “I prayed that I would wake up and this would all disappear, although deep down I knew I was praying for the wrong thing. I needed to ask for the strength to accept myself.” • New Music: St. Panther shares her latest single/music video, “These Days,” was written in memory of a friend who overdosed on the night of his birthday. “This song is my real-time experience with re-establishing a new relationship to life in the days following through the simple act of making it to the next day,” the artist explains. The track blends raw feeling over a hypnotic hybrid of soul swagger, jazz eloquence, and hip-hop heat. The video was created by the artist herself.

• Spectrum News: Donnie Lee Barrigar, a self-described flat-earther, recorded himself taking down a Pride flag flying over City Hall in Watertown, NY, and throwing it away. In posting his video online, Barrigar wrote the First Amendment gives him the right to do what he did. Last year, before a pride event in the city, he posted to social media how he wished a mass shooting would happen. Gov. Cuomo has directed the New York State Police to assist Watertown Police in this investigation. • Reuters: The organizers of Singapore’s annual gay pride Pink Dot rally vowed on Tuesday to push ahead with an online event after nearly 30,000 people signed a petition demanding restrictions and called the content “immoral”. • Baltimore Sun: A video went viral after a Black child was denied entry to Baltimore’s Ouzo Bay restaurant due to its ‘dress code’ while a white child was captured in the same video wearing the same clothing finishing his meal. The parent company, Atlas Restaurant Group, issued an apology.

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News Round-Up: June 17, 2020

Joel Green (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Wise words of the day from fitness guy Joel Green (above) – “It’s not about your reflection, it’s what you see beyond it.” #DreamBigger • Washington Blade: Sara Hegazy, 30, an LGBTQ rights activist from Egypt who was arrested for raising a rainbow flag during a 2017 concert in Cairo died by suicide on Sunday at her home in Canada. She was reportedly tortured for months in prison before an Egyptian court ordered her release on bail in January 2018. • KIT212: Kenneth’s weekly ‘Wrestle Wednesday’ (below) is really worth the click 🙂
(via kenneth-in-the-212)
• CNN: Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by two Buffalo, New York police officers earlier this month, has a fractured skull and is still unable to walk, his lawyer said in a statement provided to CNN. Gugino’s attorney passed along a message from the senior protester: “I think it’s very unnecessary to focus on me. There are plenty of other things to think about besides me.” • NY Daily News: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has issued an order requiring all lawmakers to wear masks in committee hearings after Rep. Tom Rice (R-South Carolina) announced he and several family members have contracted the COVID-19 virus. Rice has refused to wear a mask at House meetings. Pelosi has ordered the Sargeant at Arms to deny entry by any violators. • OMG Blog: RuPaul is so good at ‘Family Feud’ he doesn’t even need to hear the question! Watch below.

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News Round-Up: June 16, 2020

Bruno, the wonder dog, at one-year-old
Some news items you might have missed: • Birthdays: Today would have been the 18th birthday of my forever bestie, Bruno. Although he crossed the rainbow bridge two years ago, I think of him constantly. No sadness here, just joy at my awesome memories. I used to refer to the photo above as his headshot, as he was clearly star-material. #LoveTheBrun • Gay Star News: The Republican Party is retaining its 2016 platform for this November’s elections – including its condemnation of marriage equality, wording against same-sex families with children, a section that indicates parents should be able to send their LGBT+ children for dangerous and futile ‘conversion therapy.’ • Towleroad: Houston gay bars Buddy’s (in Montrose) and Blur Bar (in Midtown) have closed after employees and owners tested positive for COVID-19. Since Memorial Day weekend, hospitalizations in Houston’s Texas Medical Center are growing by an average of 3 percent every day. • Alabama Reporter: Alabama has recorded record numbers of new coronavirus cases for four straight days amid a worsening outbreak in the state. • Instinct Magazine: Timothy de Iturriaga, the owner of the male strip club Adonis Lounge, shares how the COVID-19 health threat has affected gay nightlife in NYC. • NewNowNext: In a press conference today, Donald Trump took a moment to praise medical researchers developing a vaccine for COVID-19 amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. According to Trump, they’re “the best, the smartest, the most brilliant [people] anywhere”—and the same people who’ve “come up with the AIDS vaccine.” Ahem, there is NO AIDS vaccine.