Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

New York Times Profiles Wealthy Gay Trumpers

Bill White and Bryan Eure (via Instagram)

The New York Times has profiled Donald Trump supporters Bill White and his husband Bryan Eure, with the primary interest in the couple being they are that rare breed of openly-gay Trumpers. In fact, they are organizing a $5 million fund-raiser for the Trumpster this winter and boast about having Don Trump Jr. on speed dial. But that wasn’t always the case. For years they enjoyed being a part of Manhattan’s liberal elite. They supported both of Hillary Clinton’s bids for president quite whole-heartedly, paid Aretha Franklin to sing at their 2011 wedding, and even hosted President Obama at a high-end $39,500-a-plate fund-raiser at their townhouse in Manhattan’s uber-gay neighborhood, Chelsea. But, per the New York Times, on election night November 8, 2016, while standing among the Hillary supporters in what everyone expected to be a celebration, White saw the writing on the wall in the election returns. Without missing a beat, he jumped in his car and drove to the New York Hilton, where Trump was celebrating the surprise win. “I didn’t want to be part of that misery pie; I’m not a wallower in self-pity,” White told the New York Times. “I really believe that once that decision is made, you have to get behind your president.” Mr. Eure, a commercial insurance broker and a longtime Republican, was happy for the change of heart by his husband. From that point on, it seems the duo have no problem explaining away any perceived negatives of the president. When it comes to the many ways Trump’s administration has attacked or pared back LGBTQ protections, Eure waves off the accusations saying, “I don’t like identity politics.” This from the the man who is married to his husband only because of the progress made by liberal Democratic politicians and activists. When someone brings up the many lies of Trump, despite actual facts and video tape to prove such falsehoods, Eure dismisses the issue as mere “embellishments.” “Exaggerations,” White adds. “He’s the marketer in chief for the United States. So what?” Their drinking of the Trump kool-aid has earned them the ire of former friends with whom the couple used to hob-nob among. Even Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton says, “They ran to the other end of the spectrum and then walked off the ledge.” “Our democracy has been set on fire by this president, and they want what, an invite to Mar-a-Lago?” Merrill added. In fact, access seems to be very important to White and Eure. The Times article recounts an episode earlier this year at Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar in Midtown Manhattan where the two men couldn’t seem to get Chelsea Clinton’s attention across the room. Incensed, White pulled out his phone and called Donald Trump Jr. According to White, Junior immediately offered to come right over. Pleased with the answer, White explained, “Trump picks up on the first ring. If you want to get to Chelsea Clinton, you have to call through five people.” Mr. Eure shares the story of the time he was traveling to Philadelphia to attend the former Secretary of State’s address at the Democratic National Convention. As part of the story, he includes how the day’s inclement weather forced him to ‘borrow’ a friend’s helicopter. But upon arriving, they rushed to greet Clinton only to be blocked by a campaign official. “This was about because we didn’t write a $25,000 check,” Eure explains of the late campaign timing. But the Clinton campaign remembers the story differently. “Some people give their time and resources to causes and candidates for the right reasons, some don’t,” said Merrill. “No better indication of which case this is than to watch a guy decide to embrace Trump and all he stands for because he couldn’t get his picture taken one night.” It’s worth noting that the Times piece almost glosses over the fact that White, a former president of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan, suddenly resigned from his position in 2008 and was forced to pay $1 million restitution after the state of New York had begun an investigation into whether he might have engaged in unlicensed commercial fund-raising. Along the way, White and Eure show little concern for the damage Donald Trump has done and will continue to do to the LGBTQ community. From removing all mention of LGBTQ people from the official White House website within hours of Trump taking office, to attempting to remove all transgender military service members, to the recent leaked memo that details plans to ‘redefine’ trans people out of existence, these two don’t care as long as they have their access. Just to show how the couple flip-flops from power center to power center, here they are happy to pose with President Obama at the Broadway musical, Hamilton:

Longtime LGBTQ activist and journalist Michelangelo Signorile chimed in on Twitter about the couple:

(h/t New York Times) <

 

Posted on

Sean Hayes & Hubby Debut New Holiday Children’s Book

Scott Icenogle and Sean Hayes (image via Simon & Schuster)

Will & Grace star Sean Hayes and his husband, composer Scott Icenogle, are thrilled when they get the call to be substitute teachers – of a kids’ ballet class.

The duo are instructed to put the young dancers through their paces in order to get ready for upcoming performances of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker.

But Sean and Scott soon decide that their mission is to share the true story of how the Sugar Plum Fairy got her wings, which just happens to be the subject of their new picture book, PLUM: How The Sugar Plum Fairy Got Her Wings.

It seems Hayes has loved The Nutcracker since he was just a little kid. He recently told Parade, “When I was a kid, I listened to that record over and over and over again.”

“I memorized every note of every instrument, from every song, in the entire ballet,” he adds. Hayes says the ballet’s story with interesting characters, like The Mouse King, was just too ‘trippy’ for him not to love.

So he and hubby Scott set about to create their vision of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s backstory. In their new book, Plum, a young orphan girl, is sent on an adventure to the Land of Sweets by a mysterious magician.

Overcoming obstacles along the way, young Plum eventually finds herself adopted. Not by a king and queen, but by two Kings, Patrick and Christopher.

Of course, the two funny men can’t just ‘release’ a book. There’s got to be a comedic way to share the news, so here’s the intro video for the new book:

Promoting the new children’s book on Good Morning America today, the couple shares that the book is just the latest collaboration between the married couple.

They also produce a popular YouTube channel titled, The Kitchen Sync, which has garnered over 2.4 million views and been seen by more than 250 million people around the world across social media platforms.

One the most popular is their take on the Barbra Streisand holiday track, “Jingle Bells,” which Hayes describes as “one of the funniest things because she sings it like she’s on cocaine.”

Not to disappoint, Hayes and Icenogle offer their newest Christmas lip-sync, costumes and all, for the Good Morning America audience, “I’m Getting Nothing For Christmas.”

Watch below.

And since it is officially the holiday season, let’s check out the full sugar-rush “Jingle Bells” lip-sync video from Sean and Scott:

Posted on

Father Gets 5 Years In Prison For Forcing Son To Have Sex With Step-Mother As ‘Gay Cure’

(stock photo via Depositphotos)

When Richard Dowling’s son, Daniel, was 11-years-old, he forced him to have sex with his step-mother in an attempt to make sure his son wouldn’t be gay.

His father also forced him to watch porn and engage in three-way sexual encounters with himself and the step-mother.

Although the incidents took place in the 1990s, charges were only recently brought against the father and step-mom.

Richard Dowling, now 62-years-old, has been sentenced to five years in prison on one count of cruelty to a child and two counts relating to sexual offenses involving a child.

The former step-mother, Annette Breakspear, 62-years-old, received an eight year sentence on three counts of indecent assault.

Now 36, Daniel has shared his story with the Sunday Mirror in an effort to help others raise their voices in similar situations.

The initial abuse began while playing a board game one night. Richard suggested the loser remove their clothing. Soon, Breakspear was naked and the father encouraged Daniel to kiss and fondle her breasts.

At the time, 11-year-old Daniel says he justified the abuse in his head because, “Dad was encouraging me to do it so I thought it was OK.”

“I think that night was a tester of how I’d react because intercourse started after that,” he added.

Daniel says that he was a bit “feminine” when younger and that possibly led his dad to take these actions.

Daniel tells the Sunday Mirror that not only did Breakspear take his virginity soon after, but she would engage in sexual abuse at least ten times over the next three years.

In one instance, after returning home from Scouts, his father told him to go give his step-mom a “good night kiss.” But when Daniel entered the bedroom, Breakspear was naked and handcuffed to the bed.

She instructed him to kiss her, and things eventually led to intercourse. During the incident, the father came and joined in.

In another episode, Richard made Daniel watch pornography with him before the dad engaged in oral sex with Breakspear telling Daniel, “That’s how you do it.”

There were also times when all three would be in bed participating in some form of three-way sex. Other times, the father wouldn’t be present for the episodes.

Today, Daniel is openly gay but the damage done at such a young age persists.

“I was sexualised at such a young age that sex means nothing to me now,” he says. “The few positive memories of my childhood are tarnished by memories of the abuse. When I smell someone wearing her perfume, or see that board game in a shop or on TV, it brings the memories back.”

The repercussions of the abuse resulted in mental health issues including depression and an attempted suicide.

The abuse came to an end when Richard ended his relationship with Breakspear in 1996. The father and son moved to Weymouth, Dorset, where at age 16 Daniel became the victim of another pedophile.

It was during interviews with a psychologist that that the earlier abuse came to light.

But nothing came of the revelation as the father claimed his son was a liar and simply “seeking attention.” Daniel also told the Sunday Mirror that the police treated him “shoddily” during that time and a constable even mocked him.

It would take 17 years before Daniel would eventually find justice. On September 6, 2015, he recorded a phone call wherein the dad admitted the abuse. Daniel took the recording to the police, and this time he was taken seriously.

During Richard Dowling’s trial at Reading Crown Court, the father says his intentions were “to try and steer him in the right direction and not to go to the way of being gay, because there was like, sort of, tendencies for him to be gay”.

The father says he was concerned about Daniel turning out “the right way.”

Judge Maria Lamb admonished Richard Dowling in court saying, “Your warped sense of right and wrong allowed him to be exploited by your then partner not just once but again and again.”

“You’ve failed to protect him from the sexually predatory behavior of your co-defendant,” the judge said. “The damage is incalculable. The abuse of trust is monstrous and the reality is that one of you was involved in active sexual abuse and the other connived at it.”

And regarding Breakspear, Judge Lamb was direct and unflinching in her criticism: “For your own perverted sexual gratification, you initiated this boy into a world far beyond anything to which he should ever have had to be introduced at those tender years.”

The Sunday Mirror reports Daniel was not able to tell his story until today for legal reasons.

But he now shares that he has not spoken to his father for over two years, saying: “Dad threw me under the bus instead of admit his guilt. He is dead to me now.”

(h/t Sunday Mirror)

Posted on

General Motors Announces 5 Plant Closures, 14,000+ Layoffs

The Chicago Tribune is reporting General Motors, the largest automaker in the United States, will be laying off 14,500 factory and white-collar workers.

In addition, five plants will be closed during a 2019 company restructuring.

The reduction includes 8,100 white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. Most of the affected factories build cars that won’t be sold in the U.S. after next year. They could close or they could get different vehicles to build. They will be part of contract talks with the United Auto Workers union next year.

The four factories in the U.S. and one in Canada could be shuttered by the end of 2019 if the automaker and its unions don’t come up with an agreement to allocate more work to those facilities, GM said in a statement Monday.

Plants without products include assembly plants in Detroit; Lordstown, Ohio; and Oshawa, Ontario. Also affected are transmission factories in Warren, Mich., as well as Baltimore.

More than 6,000 factory workers could lose jobs in the U.S. and Canada, although some could transfer to truck and SUV plants.

The cuts represent 15% of GM’s work force.

The timing could prove problematic for Donald “I Create Jobs” Trump as he enters the 2020 campaign cycle.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the closures will save $6 billion in cash by the end of next year.

This is all in addition to the $6.5 billion in cuts already announced for the end of this year.

#SoMuchWinning

Posted on

Podcast: Marriage Equality In Taiwan & Bermuda, Threats Against Boston Bars, 1st Same-Sex Kiss On Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

In this week’s podcast:

* A teenager is arrested for making threats of violence to two gay bars in Boston

* Taiwan overwhelmingly says ‘no’ to amending their civil code to include marriage equality

* The Trump administration is trying to take it’s ban on transgender military service members to the Supreme Court

* The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade made history with its first same-sex kiss

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Posted on

No Consequences For Baraboo High School Seniors’ Nazi Salute

The senior boys of Baraboo High School

The boys of the senior class of Baraboo High School will not face any discipline or consequences for their now-infamous Nazi salute photo at their prom last year.

From ABC News:

Officials with a Wisconsin school district say free-speech rights would make it difficult to discipline students who appeared in a photograph that showed several high school boys giving what appears to be a Nazi salute.

The State Journal reports that Baraboo Superintendent Lori Mueller said in a letter to parents Wednesday that officials cannot know the “intentions in the hearts” of those involved. She also said the district isn’t in a position to punish the students because they are protected by the First Amendment.

The photo of about 60 boys was taken outside the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo last spring. The parent who took the photographer said he simply asked the boys to wave goodbye to their parents before heading to prom.

Funny – when I wave goodbye to folks it somehow never looks like a Nazi salute.

In the fallout of the scandal, once the photo came to light, several students told Vice contributor Jules Suzdaltsev they had seen and heard a lot of racist language while attending the school.

One student who graduated from BHS this spring wrote Suzdaltsev saying he could “100% support the claims of racism at that school.”

“The use of the n-word was pretty common among a lot of white students, whether jokingly or not,” he added.

Another told Suzdaltsev that the day after Donald Trump was elected, students were yelling “White Power!” in the hallways.

Posted on

Boston: 16-Year-Old Arrested In Connection To Threatening Phone Calls To Gay Bars

A 16-year-old from Hampton has been arrested after police say he made threatening phone calls to two Boston gay bars earlier this month.

From the Boston Police Department website:

At about 9:30 PM, on Friday, November 23, 2018, officers from the Seabrook New Hampshire Police Department located and arrested a 16-year-old male from Hampton, NH, who was wanted in connection to an investigation surrounding threatening phone calls which had been received at two Boston area bars.

At the time of his arrest, the suspect was wanted on outstanding warrants sought out of Suffolk County Juvenile Court for Threats with Serious Public Alarm and Civil Rights Violations in connection to that investigation as well as additional warrants stemming from other charges from outside jurisdictions.

The suspect remains held at this time as a Fugitive from Justice. The Boston Police Fugitive Unit has responded and is collaborating with the Seabrook Police Department to arrange for the suspect’s return to the area for arraignment.

The threatening phone calls were made to the dbar and Alley Bar in Boston.

Rocco LaMonica, the manager at Alley Bar, told the Boston Herald: “Nobody wants to prosecute someone and ruin someone’s life.”

“Hopefully maybe this way, of talking to them, seeing we’re not the enemy, they’ll see it’s okay to be who you are,” he added.

Posted on

Behind The Scenes Of The Upcoming ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie

The cast of ‘Downton Abbey’ (image via ITV)

The hit British TV drama Downton Abbey is finally getting its own movie.

The most successful costume/period series in 40 years, Downton Abbey picked up three Golden Globe Awards and 15 Primetime Emmy Awards over its six seasons (2010-2015).

According to PEOPLE, principal cast members Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern are all returning as well as many other longtime cast members.

No word yet, though, as to whether Robert James-Collier will return as the semi-villainous gay butler, “Thomas Barrow.”

Throughout the show’s six seasons, Barrow fell in love with straight men, underwent conversion therapy in an attempt to ‘cure’ his gayness and attempted suicide. In the series finale, however, he was recommended to become the new head butler for the estate.

The TODAY Show paid a visit to Highclere Castle in north Hampshire, UK to get a first look at the upcoming film set to premiere September 20, 2019, in the United States.

The creators, cast and crew are all being very tight-lipped about any storyline or even a hint about what may be in store for the the Crawley family and the servants who worked in their country home.

Although, in the video report below, Hugh Bonneville does attempt to trick us with his own fake storyline.

Handsome Allen Leech, who plays “Tom Branson,” recently told Vanity Fair that the film will be emotional. “It’s Julian (Fellowes) — you’re going to have tears. He’s never too saccharine-sweet, so be prepared for everything.”

“It’s a big, epic story that’s definitely going to fill the big screen,” Leech continued. “That was our worry about taking the show from the small screen to the big screen. But you have Julian Fellowes, who won an Oscar for writing, and he’s done a great job with the story.”

Alastair Bruce, who serves as the historical advisor on the project recently posted on Twitter, “Last night, we left @HighclereCastle after the filming [what] we needed for the upcoming #DowntonAbbey film – we staged the last scene in the kitchen courtyard – exactly where we shot the very first @DowntonAbbey scene at the start of filming for series 1 #whatajourney.”

For a time, there were questions as to whether the delightfully droll Dame Maggie Smith would return for the film

During an appearance on the Graham Norton Show, she was asked if she was glad the show was over and she answered in the affirmative, “Oh yeah.”

“By the time we finished, [The Dowager Countess] must have been about 110. It couldn’t go on and on, it just didn’t make sense,” she continued.

And during an interview at the British Film Institute, she worried aloud if the tale had been told. “I just think it’s squeezing it dry, do you know what I mean?” she said.

Happily, though, Smith will be back and we’re already prepping ourselves for more of her drop-dead zingers.

Posted on

Trump Thanks Himself For Holiday Gas Prices Higher Than Obama’s

Donald Trump

Capping off a Thanksgiving weekend which began with Donald Trump telling reporters he was most thankful for his family and himself, this morning he took to Twitter to thank himself again (in the third person, no less) for falling oil prices.

Trump omitted the fact that gas prices were much lower during President Obama’s last Thanksgiving in office.

For someone unknown reason, the Trumpeter didn’t bother to address the steep decline on Wall Street this week that wiped out all profits for 2018.

And just one more thing…