InstaHunk Dan Tai’s casual confidence (and those calves) really deserve a moment of attention.
Follow the former pro-rugby play on Instagram here.
Just Because…
Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colors Fund’ Is Now ‘True Colors United’
|
| Cyndi Lauper |
Pop icon and human rights advocate Cyndi Lauper announced via Instagram that her True Colors campaign, which works to help homeless LGBTQ youth, will now expand its work to advocate for all homeless youth as True Colors United.
From Lauper’s Instagram:
Big News! The True Colors Fund is now @truecolorsunited. Advocate. Educate. Collaborate. End youth homelessness. We have to solve this issue by working together.
Via press release:
The True Colors Fund, a leader in the pursuit to prevent and end youth homelessness, has announced a major rebrand, including a new name, logo, and visual identity.
The new name, True Colors United, emphasizes the importance of working together to create an equitable world and reflects the responsibility we have as a society to eliminate the barriers youth experiencing homelessness face in achieving happy and healthy lives.
In the United States, 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year, with LGBTQ youth 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers. Furthermore, up to 40% of all youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ, while only 10% of the general youth population is LGBTQ. Black/African American youth have an 83% higher risk of homelessness, while Hispanic youth have a 33% higher risk. True Colors United has set bold new goals for the future to bring these numbers down. By 2024, the organization aims to:
• Establish and implement LGBTQ inclusion standards for organizations and communities working to address youth homelessness.
• Activate policymakers to center the experiences of LGBTQ youth and youth of color to create equitable policies and practices.
• Establish youth collaboration as an industry standard for youth homelessness work.
• Expand the work of True Colors United internationally, beginning in Europe and Canada.
As they move into their second decade, True Colors United is also expanding their work to help ensure they are preventing and ending homelessness for all disproportionately affected youth, not just those who identify as LGBTQ.
They will continue to partner with young people with lived experience of homelessness to ensure they’re in positions of power to drive change through their ideas, skills and talents so their peers in the future won’t have to experience homelessness.
News Round-Up: March 4, 2019
|
| (image via Instagram) |
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunk Jared Techau has the right idea for cold, rainy nights in Los Angeles. #metime #mood #candles
• A man convicted of the murder of a gay man in Alabama in 1999 has been stabbed to death in prison.
• Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) has expressed support for the federal legalization of marijuana as he considers a potential presidential bid in 2020.
• A man and his friend were kicked out of an Uber in Sydney, Australia after his friend kissed him on the forehead during the car ride.
• Journalist Michael Musto spoke with an Academy Award voter who has an idea how Glenn Close lost her Oscar this year.
• The Fab Five are back! Netflix just dropped the trailer for Season 3 of Queer Eye which includes the show’s first duo and first lesbian makeovers.
The new season will also tackle issues like alcoholism, identity crises and more.
Season 3 drops on March 15. Watch the trailer below.
Second Patient Appears To Be Cured Of HIV
Scientists report a second patient seems to have been cured of HIV.
From The New York Times:
The news comes nearly 12 years to the day after the first patient known to be cured, a feat that researchers have long tried, and failed, to duplicate. The surprise success now confirms that a cure for H.I.V. infection is possible, if difficult, researchers said.
Publicly, the scientists are describing the case as a long-term “remission.” In interviews, most experts are calling it a cure, with the caveat that it is hard to know how to define the word when there are only two known instances.
Both milestones resulted from bone-marrow transplants given to infected patients. But the transplants were intended to treat cancer in the patients, not H.I.V.
Bone-marrow transplantation is unlikely to be a realistic treatment option in the near future. Powerful drugs are now available to control H.I.V. infection, while the transplants are risky, with harsh side effects that can last for years.
But rearming the body with immune cells similarly modified to resist H.I.V. might well succeed as a practical treatment, experts said.
The first patient to be ‘cured’ is Timothy Ray Brown, 52, who currently lives in Palm Springs, California. Brown has leukemia and underwent two bone-marrow transplants before he was declared ‘cured’ of HIV.
Scientists are currently tracking 38 patients with HIV who received bone marrow transplants.
This new, second patient (only referred to as ‘the London patient’) is number 36 on that list.
Quotables: Billy Porter, Robin Roberts, Ivanka Trump, Cynthia Nixon
 |
| Billy Porter on the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards |
Billy Porter on his red carpet-stopping tuxedo dress: “Now I’m in a space where, being on Pose, I’m invited to red carpets and I have something to say through clothes. My goal is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up. To challenge expectations. What is masculinity? What does that mean?”
 |
| GMA’s Robin Roberts interviews Empire star Jussie Smollett |
GMA journalist Robin Roberts on her interview with Jussie Smollett: “I’m a black gay woman, he’s a black gay man. He’s saying that there’s a hate crime, so if I’m too hard, then my LGBT community is going to say, ‘You don’t believe a brother,’ if I’m too light on him, it’s like, ‘Oh, because you are in the community, you’re giving him a pass.’ It was a no-win situation for me.”
 |
| Ivanka Trump |
Ivanka Trump joked recently about how hard it is to be her: “The press seems to think it’s ironic that I, born of great privilege, think people want to work for what they are given. As if being Donald Trump’s daughter isn’t the hardest job in the world.”
|
| Cynthia Nixon |
Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon on Vice President Mike Pence: “The fact that Pence does vile, hateful things while well-coiffed and calm doesn’t make him decent; it makes him insidious and dangerous. Respecting each other’s rights and humanity is what makes us civilized — not keeping a civil tone while doing the opposite.”
Celeb Baker Saves The Day After Couple Were Turned Away By Anti-LGBT Baker
|
| Celebrity baker Jay Qualls (image via Facebook) |
Last week, I reported on yet another baker who has refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.
After meeting with Susie Dennison of Susie’s Sweets bakery in Burns Tennessee, Brandi Ray shared on her social media that Dennison sent her a Facebook message saying she wouldn’t make the cake in question because ‘Jesus.’
“I really enjoyed our time together and I truly wish you the best but after realizing that your union will be of the same sex, I cannot with my spiritual conviction and beliefs, do your cake,” wrote Dennison. She added, “I want you to know in saying that, I do love you in The Lord.”
Ray responded writing, “I’m sorry you feel that way. Have a good night.”
After the story went viral, celebrity baker Jay Qualls of Nashville stepped up and has offered to bake a free wedding cake for Ray and her fiancé, Michele Schmidt.
With over 30 years in the baking industry, Qualls has worked with Martha Stewart, appeared on TLC’s The Next Great Baker and Cake Boss, as well as Food Network’s Cuthroat Kitchen.
The veteran baker told The Tennessean the story left him “enraged.”
“This has to stop. It’s discriminatory,” Qualls told the newspaper. “I can’t sit back and allow this, as a gay man who has a very healthy and meaningful life with two adult children who are loved, and a very meaningful relationship.”
The baker shares that his outrage stems in part from having experienced discrimination himself when planning his second wedding.
Qualls was married to a woman for 13 years and has two grown children. He was 33-years-old when he came out, and three years ago was denied wedding services due to homophobia.
He and his fiancé had made plans to hold their ceremony at Montgomery Bell State Park’s Cumberland Presbyterian Church. But when the couple went to pay the facility fee, they were turned away due to the same-sex marriage.
At the time, he didn’t go public with the story because he didn’t want his wedding “turning into a circus.”
But this time, he’s speaking out on behalf of Schmidt and Ray, and told the couple they can have “anything they want.”
Over his 30+ years as a professional baker, Qualls says he’s “sat across from thousands of couples over the years,” and some of them he didn’t share the same beliefs. But he didn’t turn any of them away.
“When you are serving the public, you have to be willing to serve all the public,” Qualls said.
‘Beverly Hills 90210’ Star Luke Perry Dead At 52
|
| Luke Perry (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC license) |
Actor Luke Perry, who shot to fame and teen idol status as loner Dylan McKay in the 1990s hit TV series, Beverly Hills, 90210, has died at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke last Wednesday.
TMZ reports that the actor passed away Monday morning at a hospital in Burbank, California.
Originally from Mansfield, Ohio, Perry began his acting career with roles on daytime dramas Another World and Loving.
But he became an overnight sensation with the launch of 90210 in 1990. Over several seasons, the handsome actor handled storylines that shined a light on alcohol abuse and drug addiction, as well as relationship struggles.
Perry starred in the series for several seasons but stepped away in 1995 only to return in 1998. He remained with the show until its finale in 2000.
Most recently, Perry has been starring on the CW’s Riverdale playing the conservative father of lead character, Archie Andrews (KJ Apa).
The same day of his stroke, Fox TV announced a six-episode summer reboot of 90210 with original stars Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling returning to play ‘larger-than-life’ versions of themselves filming a reboot of the iconic show.
Perry was not scheduled to participate, but there were reports that he might make an appearance.
 |
| Luke Perry (center) – (photo – 90210 Productions) |
The actor will appear posthumously in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Perry is survived by his daughter, Sophie, and his son, Jack.
Perry’s 90210 co-stars Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Cateris, and Jennie Garth issued these statements:
Dearest Luke,
I will forever bask in the loving memories we’ve shared over the last thirty years. May your journey forward be enriched by the magnificent souls who have passed before you, just like you have done here, for those you leave behind.— Ian Ziering (@IanZiering) March 4, 2019
Dearest Luke- I am so heart broken and at a loss for words. You my friend were a mighty soul and have left your mark. My love and prayers to the family and all who loved you. RIP— Gabrielle Carteris (@TheGabrielle_C) March 4, 2019
“My heart is broken. He meant so much to so many. Such a very special person. I share my deep sadness with his family and all who loved him. Such a terrible loss." -Jennie Garth on 'Beverly Hills, 90210' costar Luke Perry
See more tributes here: https://t.co/iM2lnvjLzz pic.twitter.com/2fRfv7GkpN— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
Podcast: Georgia vs Gays, Billy Porter Slays On The Red Carpet, Terry Crews Calls Kids Of Same-Sex Parents Emotionally ‘Malnourished’
In this episode of The Randy Report podcast:
• Georgia lawmakers look to legalize LGBTQ discrimination
• The United Methodist Church doubles down on anti-LGBTQ animus
• Formerly homeless valedictorian kicked out of his home for being gay is thriving in college, and just landed a Congressional internship. He also set up his own scholarship foundation. Click here for more info.
• Pose star Billy Porter brings political discourse to the Oscars’ red carpet
• Out singer/songwriter Kisos shares his ‘five stages of grief’ with “Happily Ever After”
• Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Terry Crews got called out for saying kids of same-sex parents will grow up emotionally ‘malnourished’
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
I want to send a big shout-out to everyone who’s hit up the podcast over the past couple of years.
It’s amazing to see the growth in numbers of folks discovering the podcast in such an organic manner, and I want to thank everyone for taking a listen and spreading the word about the podcast.
I always look at the podcast as the kind of “LGBTQ catch-up” I would want to hear, with a mix of stories that spans the wide spectrum of political and pop culture news.
I was excited to be contacted by an advertising exec who has a list of clients looking to advertise on the podcast.
!!!
Now, you know, ad execs only show interest when they see an audience they value.
Tip of the hat to all of you 😉
Trump Moved On A US Flag Like A B*tch
|
| You could say Trump moved on that flag like a, well, you know… |
File this under ‘Creepy.’
Folks were taken aback when Donald Trump walked up to a U.S. flag yesterday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and strangled an American flag in front of hundreds of people.
The Donald is obviously in violation of the U.S. Flag code which clearly states,”The flag should never touch anything beneath it.”
Trump makes out with the American flag pic.twitter.com/TgV1yUR0PA— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 2, 2019
There’s something really sleazy about the way Trump hugged the flag.If it had a vagina, he would have grabbed it.
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) March 3, 2019
Has anyone from the Trump camp paid this flag $130,000 yet? pic.twitter.com/oIpYRPTMQc— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) March 3, 2019
We all agree the Trump hugging the flag thing is creepy, right? Because that shit is just weird. And people cheering it are even creepier.— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) March 2, 2019
If a soldier on a color guard detail did what Trump did to the US flag today he or she would be court martialed.— Robert Affleck (@Robert_Affleck) March 2, 2019
Donald Trump sexually assaulting the American flag at CPAC is the metaphor for our times. pic.twitter.com/Y8n7Se8ADj— Millennial Politics (@MillenPolitics) March 2, 2019
Teen Kicked Out Of Home For Being Gay Becomes Valedictorian, Scores Internship In Congress
|
| Formerly homeless valedictorian Seth Owen is thriving at Georgetown University |
Who wants to hear some good news?
Ooh – me! Me!
Last summer, I reported on the story of Seth Owen, a high school student who became homeless after his father did a deep dive into his cell phone and discovered Seth was gay.
The intrusion into Seth’s personal life began a series of events that led to a year of being subjected to so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ forced to attend a church that was virulently anti-gay, and eventually being thrown out of his home.
However, homelessness would not deter Seth.
Incredibly, while couch-surfing throughout his senior year of high school, he maintained a 4.16 GPA and graduated as co-valedictorian of his class.
Even as he celebrated his amazing achievement, Seth learned after he was accepted to prestigious Georgetown University that his parents reneged on any financial support leaving him far short of the funds to attend his first semester this fall.
One of Seth’s teachers who recognized his strength and burgeoning potential launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover the shortfall. Seth’s story and the campaign went viral exceeding all expectations by raising over $141,000.
Thanks to the LGBT media covering the story, Georgetown University took another look at Seth’s situation and granted him a full ride to the school.
 |
| Seth Owen |
Fast forward to today where the good news is Seth is not only thriving at Georgetown, but The Hill is reporting that he has recently landed an internship in the office of Florida Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D).
After reading about Seth and his past challenges, the congresswoman reached out to Georgetown to offer her support and an internship in her office.
“I am proud that Seth chose to be a part of our team,” Murphy told The Hill. “He will always be welcomed here, and I’m am happy to see him thrive. Our entire office is rooting for his continued success.”
Seth began interning at the congresswoman’s office in January and will be working with the office for the remainder of his spring semester.
Additionally, Seth told the Orlando Sentinel this week that he has launched a scholarship focused on helping “students in marginalized communities access post-secondary education.”
The $25,000 donation he received from Ellen DeGeneres last year was used as the seed money to begin the Unbroken Horizons Scholarship Foundation.
Seth gave a big shoutout in the Sentinel interview to thank his supporters for their “incredible generosity to help me achieve my dream of getting to college. Each and every day, I am humbled by the opportunities I find in our nation’s capital.”
He is also seeking for more donations for the scholarship foundation, and is urging students to apply for scholarships at this link.