LGBTQ news and entertainment
Michael Leisner has really made it!
After his “protest gone wrong” video (where he set fire to the front lawn of pro-equality company General Mills) went viral, Michael Leisner has now found himself featured on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report.
p.s. his over-dramatic, ill-conceived and illegal action led to his being fired by his real estate office.
Via Towleroad
President Obama has signed a law prohibiting protests during or near military funerals.
The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring For Camp Lejuene Families Act of 2012 also benefits military personnel and their families with improved healthcare, housing, education, and memorial services.
“We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform,” said Obama at the bill signing, according to a pool report. “The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds.”
Protests are now limited to within 300 feet of a military funeral and for two hours before and after such a service.
The law is a none-too-subtle swipe at Westboro Baptist Church, a fringe “church” based in Topeka, Kan., and certified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church has made a practice of picketing military funerals with signs that comes close to bordering on hate speech. Westboro believes that God is killing American soldiers to punish the American people for increasingly embracing LGBT equality. The group’s brightly colored signs bear messages like “Thank God for dead soldiers,” “Semper Fag” and the ubiquitous “God Hates Fags,” which also functions as the group’s Web domain.
Leaving Chinawhite at about 3:30am, hottie Ryan Lochte looks like a good time was had by all.
I don’t blame him. He should have a great time after winning all those Olympic medals.
After the recent “Blossom” reunion commercial with Mayim Bialik and Joey Lawrence, Old Navy is back with some more 80s TV stars.
Jennie Garth as a school teacher who needs to finally choose between Dylan and Brandon
Gabrielle Carteris, aka Andrea Zuckerman, who still carries a not-too-subtle torch for Brandon.
The pro-gay-marriage side currently leads in the latest polls of the ballot measures in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington.
Here’s a breakdown of where things stand on the question of whether gay marriage should be legalized in each state:
MAINE (WBUR, June):
Yes: 55 percent
No: 36 percent
MARYLAND (Hart Research Assoicates, August):
Yes: 54 percent
No: 40 percent
MINNESOTA (Public Policy Polling, June):
Yes: 49 percent
No: 43 percent
WASHINGTON (PPP, June):
Yes: 51 percent
No: 42 percent
Of course the election is three months away, but I’ll take these numbers. It’s time folks.
Public opinion has shifted rapidly in favor of gay marriage in recent years; a recent CNN poll found 54 percent of Americans supporting legal recognition of “marriages between gay and lesbian couples,” part of a long-term public opinion trend in that direction. Since President Obama came out in favor of gay marriage in May, there’s evidence the position has gained even more support among Democrats, particularly African-Americans, and the Democratic Party recently announced there will be a pro-gay marriage plank in the platform approved at the convention in Charlotte next month.
I just finished watching a very moving, sad, sweet, funny and touching documentary – “Inlaws & Outlaws” – chronicling the lives of several couples and their lives together.
From the beginning of the film, you don’t know who is straight or who is gay; you don’t know who’s with whom. The people telling their stories range in age from young adults to senior citizens. The stories unfold and as the viewer you learn the journey these folks have taken in terms of human connection and bonding.
Very well done by director Drew Emery, the film thoughtfully explores the condition of being single, married, divorced or in some cases widowed. Along the way there are some tears, many laughs and the crystallized realization that we all have much in common.
Watching the documentary, it becomes clear that “being with someone” isn’t just a heterosexual or homosexual idea. And that all of our relationships have a lot in common. A great thought to embrace as marriage equality is being debated around not only the US, but the world.
“We love. We lose. We all want to belong. And we’re all making this up as we go along.”
Check out the movie’s website at www.inlawsandoutlawsfilm.com
At the same website you can get information about the Hearts + Minds Campaign whose mission is “sharing our true stories, we believe we can bring people together to recognize a beautiful thing: love is neither gay nor straight – it’s human.”
SURF THE MUSICAL, recently opened at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, will be closing after next Wednesday’s performance. The show July 17th after three weeks of previews.
I’m always sad to see people out of work. Especially those who work in entertainment given my long career in the theater. But having attended the opening night, it was clear there were some issues with the project that I can only assume have not been addressed or fixed yet.
But the show never caught on, receiving reviews that ranged from tepid to poisonous and reportedly never sold more than 200 tickets to any performance in a 1,500-seat theater. For at least one show, fewer than 50 tickets were purchased (prices were in line with some of the top Las Vegas productions — $70 to $158).
“Surf” is the second musical driven by Beach Boys music to ride a short wave. In 2005, “Good Vibrations” (which also was not endorsed by the band) closed on Broadway after just 94 performances. As it turns out, that figure is more than double the number of shows “Surf” managed on the Strip.
A popular Houston restaurant, Beaver’s, has decided to make it’s own stance against Chick-Fil-A’s anti-gay position.
Beaver’s announced a new addition to its menu, the “Chick-On-Chick” Filet, which is described as “two loving chicken breasts married on toasty buns with a honey mustard witness and joined in celebration with tolerant fries.” A photo of the menu special has since been circulating on Facebook.
According to the Huffington Post, he Texas restaurant is pro-marriage equality, according to Gawker. Not only is owner and celebrity chef Monica Pope a lesbian, but her Houston restaurant is also known for attracting a diverse clientele.