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9-Time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard Tells Fox Sports “I’m Not Gay”

In an interview with Fox Sports, NBA star Dwight Howard directly addresses allegations whether he is gay and how a slew of rumors begun in the fall of 2018 impacted his life.
9-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard

In an interview with Fox Sports, NBA star Dwight Howard directly addresses allegations whether he is gay and how a slew of rumors begun in the fall of 2018 impacted his life.

Speaking to reporter Kristine Leahy, Howard says in simple language, “I’m not gay.”

“It’s a lot of people who are [gay], and they have to hide,” he said.

Howard, who is currently on the Memphis Grizzlies roster, says the experience of gay rumors swirling around him gave him a new perspective in how he views gay athletes.

“I went through a situation last year that really just set me free,” he tells Leahy. “It ended up being a situation that…went viral.”

“People were talking about it, and it upset me because I didn’t even know who the person was,” he continued. “Why would somebody who I never met, never had any contact with, make up a whole story about me?”

Howard described the reaction from people as “hate, pure hate,” and that it felt like it “piled up” everywhere he went.

“I think that liberated me,” shared the 33-year-old athlete. “Because I saw how a lot of people would feel, whether they’re gay or they’re straight; whether they have issues; people are afraid to be who they are.”

“They’re afraid to just step out and be because they’re afraid of what other people might say or think about them,” said Howard. “That situation made me realize ‘You’re not like this, but just be you, be free.’”

The issue began last November with a series of tweets by a gay man named Masin Elije, who claimed he had been having a ‘relationship’ with Howard.

Elije says he met the NBA player at a Wild N Out event, and were soon chatting in direct messages on Instagram.

Describing Howard as “fine, 6’11”, goofy and very charming,” Elije alleged the two men began exchanging nude photos and developed some kind of relationship.

Elije went on to tweet that Howard had ‘cheated’ on him with a ‘transgender prostitute.’ Eventually, Elije accused Howard of physically threatening him if he didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement.

After Elije filed a lawsuit against Howard in March, the 9-time All-Star denied all of the allegations by Elije to TMZ saying, “I don’t know this person, never seen him. Any allegation said about me is false.”

Howard filed a counter-suit against Elije asking for $10 million in damages, and described Elije’s lawsuit as a “money grab.”

The website ClutchPoints.com reported in November they had found at least two previous claims by Elije that were proven to be false.

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Ohio: White Security Guard Pulls Gun On Black Uniformed Sheriff’s Deputy

A white security guard in Ohio has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated menacing after he was caught on surveillance video pulling a gun on a uniformed black sheriff's deputy because he was armed.
(screen capture via 13ABC)

A white security guard in Ohio has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated menacing after he was caught on surveillance video pulling a gun on a uniformed black sheriff’s deputy because he was armed.

Lucas County Sheriff’s deputy Alan Gaston dropped by his local IRS office in Toledo on May 31 to inquire about a letter he had received.

Dressed in his full sheriff’s office uniform with his badge and gun clearly visible, Gaston was told by a security guard – identified as Seth Eklund – that he would have to leave his gun in his car to enter the offices.

Gaston explained he couldn’t do that as he was on duty so he decided to leave the office.

Video footage shows Gaston exiting the office as the security guard followed him with his gun drawn and aimed at the deputy’s back. With his gun drawn the entire time, Eklund followed the deputy to the building’s elevators.

According to Gaston, the security guard attempted to take the sheriff’s deputy “into custody.”

Gaston told local ABC news affiliate 13ABC that he felt the best way to de-escalate the situation was to try and calmly walk away. The sheriff’s deputy works as a defensive tactics instructor.

“I was basically preparing myself to be shot at that moment,” said Gaston. “Bracing for a shot in my back. There’s really no way to know how you’re going to act when there’s a gun pointed at you and when you think you’re going to lose your life.”

According to reports, a worker at the IRS office made a call to 911 saying there was someone there with a gun. At no point did the caller mention that the ‘man with a gun’ was a sheriff’s deputy.

Gaston has filed a lawsuit against Eklund saying he has suffered emotional and psychological distress from the incident. He has been on medical leave from work since the incident.

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Go Behind-The-Scenes Of The Upcoming CATS Movie

Universal Pictures shares a look inside the upcoming Cats movie and announces that the first trailer will be released on Friday.

Cats stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and introduces Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward in her feature film debut.

Featuring a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street to tap.

(via press release)

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Father Cut Off His Gay Son’s Earlobe To Mark Him As ‘Abomination’

A gay teen from The Gambia says his father sliced off his earlobe to ‘mark’ him as an abomination.
(image via Modou/GSN)

A gay teen from The Gambia says his father sliced off his earlobe to ‘mark’ him as an abomination.

Nineteen-year-old Modou is currently living in The Netherlands seeking asylum having fled his west African home country where being gay is illegal.

Until October 2014, people found to have had consensual same-sex relations were sentenced to 14 years in prison. In 2014, the laws were made even more severe upping the punishment to a life prison sentence.

Modou told Gay Star News he was caught in bed with another boy when he was 15-years-old. The boy, out of fear for his own life, told his family Modou had attacked him.

Calling it “the biggest mistake” he ever made, Modou came out to his family thinking, “Maybe my family will accept me because I am their family. This is who I am.”

Instead, his family reported him to the local police in his western Gambia village.

Additionally, Modou says his father took him into a locked room and cut off his earlobe to ‘mark’ him as an abomination.

“It was the most painful thing in my life,” Modou told Gay Star News. “The worst thing is they didn’t take me to the hospital or give me medication. They just locked me inside a room as I tried to stop the bleeding.”

There is a history in The Gambia among certain ethnic groups of marking children, sometimes around the eyes or on the cheek, for the purpose of identification.

However, slicing off an earlobe is a practice used only on pedophiles and LGBTQ people.

Once marked, Modou says he thought he would have to spend his life at home, as a recluse.

“Everyone could see it – I could be beaten to death and I would not be missed,” says the 19-year-old.

The teen fled three years ago to the southern part of The Netherlands where he has an uncle. But Modou says he hasn’t shared his sexuality with his uncle because he is Muslim and being gay is not accepted.

He’s currently receiving legal help in applying for asylum, but lives each day in fear that he will be deported to his native country.

“I just want to finish school and live a free life.”

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Drug Lord El Chapo Sentenced To Life In Prison Without Possibility Of Parole

El Chapo, real name Joaquín Guzmán Loera, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a life spent sending tons of drugs into the United States and ordering the deaths of dozens of people.
Infamous drug lord El Chapo

El Chapo, real name Joaquín Guzmán Loera, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a life spent sending tons of drugs into the United States and ordering the deaths of dozens of people.

From the New York Times:

The life sentence, mandated by law as a result of the severity of Mr. Guzmán’s crimes, was handed down in the Federal District Court in Brooklyn, where the kingpin was convicted last winter of drug, murder and money laundering charges after a sprawling three-month trial.

As some of the federal agents who had chased him for years looked on from the gallery, Judge Brian M. Cogan issued the life term and Mr. Guzmán, 62, was hauled away to prepare himself — pending an appeal — for spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Judge Cogan said the “overwhelming evil” of Mr. Guzmán’s crimes were apparent. Besides giving him a life sentence plus 30 years, he ordered the drug lord to pay $12.6 billion in restitution.

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News Round-Up: July 16, 2019

• InstaHunks: Zumanity star Wayne Skivington (above) shares, "Sometimes you just need an escape to gather your thoughts and fill your soul."
Wayne Skivington (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Zumanity star Wayne Skivington (above) shares, “Sometimes you just need an escape to gather your thoughts and fill your soul.”

• AL.com: According to Alabama Secretary of State and Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Merrill, the weekend country is losing its moral core because Americans are “preoccupied with homosexual activities” and “the wife swap shows” that are on television.

• Twitter: The anonymous “Gay Footballer” on Twitter says he plans to come out soon:

• TIME: The 25 most influential people on the internet.

• Mediaite: Republican operative Jason Miller, former communications chief for the Trump campaign and transition team, said he hired numerous prostitutes and visited “hand job” massage parlors as recently as a few months ago in a new videotaped deposition.

• New Music: Check out the latest single from Sofi Tukker, “Swing,” which the band describes as “an epic battle song.”

“It’s more like a chant than a song, really. It’s called ‘swing’ because we literally swing the song after Tuck says that. We collaborated with the Brazilian poet, Chacal, and the words are about words!! Like a lot of the things we do with Chacal, part of the meaning of it is just how nonsensical it is. It’s really about how delicious and delightful and also meaningless words ultimately are.”

Hit play below.

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Tune Tuesdays: Katey Brooks “All Of Me”

Katey Brooks (photo: John Morgan)

With a career spanning four continents, out musician Katey Brooks continues her journey from intimate living rooms to dive bars to opulent concert halls to your digital catalogue with her single, “All of Me.”

Considering her back-catalogue incorporates soul, folk, blues and country, Brooks is difficult to categorize in terms of genre. Words like “organic” and “honest”come to mind as her music details her romantic turbulence and the struggle to come to terms with her sexuality.

Growing up in a cult, Brooks found refuge in music.

“It was a very chaotic upbringing, full of some pretty colourful and sometimes unsavoury, characters,” she shares. “But when I sang, I felt free and connected. For as long as I can remember, it’s been my way of getting what I need to say out.”

“All of Me” narrates calling someone out on their ambivalence.

“It was inspired by a personal situation with someone I was prepared to give my world to,” reveals the artist. “They proclaimed deep love, but then proceeded to behave in ways that were completely incongruent with that proclamation.”

Brooks has garnered acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Pride, The Advocate, Gay Times, After Ellen and Earmilk to name a few.

Listen below, and follow her on Spotify here.

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U.S. House Votes 240-197 To Condemn Trump Twitter Attack On 4 Congresswomen As ‘Racist’

The New York Times reports that the House voted today 240-187 to condemn Donald Trump’s attacks on four progressive Democratic congresswomen as ‘racist.’

The House voted on Tuesday to condemn as racist President Trump’s attacks against four congresswomen of color, but only after the debate over the president’s language devolved into a bitterly partisan brawl that showcased deep rifts over race, ethnicity and political ideology in the age of Trump.

The measure passed nearly along party lines, 240-187, following one of the most polarizing exchanges on the House floor in recent memory. Only four Republicans and the House’s lone independent, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, voted with all Democrats to condemn Mr. Trump.

“I know racism when I see it, I know racism when I feel it, and at the highest level of government, there’s no room for racism,” thundered Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, an icon of the civil rights movement who was nearly beaten to death in Alabama in 1965.

House Republicans, of course, defended the current occupant of the Oval Office.

Just four Republicans voted with the Democrats — Reps. Will Hurd (Tex.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Susan Brooks (Ind.) and Fred Upton (Mich.). Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.), who quit the GOP earlier this month and now identifies as Independent, also voted for it.

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Morning Consult Poll Shows Biden Still Leads In Dem Primary Race

On a daily basis, Morning Consult is surveying over 5,000 registered voters across the United States on the 2020 presidential election.

Every Monday, MC shares the latest survey data, offering an in-depth guide to how the race for the Democratic nomination is shaping up.

The below are the results from Democratic primary voters nationwide.

The latest results are based on 16,504 survey interviews conducted between July 8-14, 2019.

As you can see, former Vice President Joe Biden continues to lead the pack with 32 percent support, with Sen. Bernie Sanders in second place at 19 percent.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) place third and fourth with 14 percent and 13 percent respectively.

And Mayor Pete Buttigieg rounds out the Top 5 at 5 percent.

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Boy Culture Ranks Top Gay-Porn Stars

Over at Boy Culture, Matt Rettenmund has done the hard work and ranked what he considers “History’s 225 Greatest Gay-Porn Stars.”
L-R Austin Wolf (via Instagram), Arad Winwin (via Instagram)
Over at Boy Culture, Matt Rettenmund has done the hard work and ranked what he considers “History’s 225 Greatest Gay-Porn Stars.”

I know, I know…it’s hard work but someone’s got to do it.
Rettenmund ranked the first 40 in order, and then the other 185 adult performers are included and listed in alphabetical order.

As they say, “Just to be nominated is an honor…”
Now, in all honesty, I’ll admit my knowledge of gay-porn performers is much more limited than Rettenmund, who earlier in his career worked as a gay-porn industry professional for publications like Torso, Honcho, Playguy and Mandate.

Ok, so I do know who Austin Wolf is… (via Instagram)
As Boy Culture points out, gay men didn’t have much back in the 1980s and 90s in terms of “societal instruction on what happens when two guys fall in love, or even lust.” So, gay porn was about the only source we had for figuring out how this all might work.

I remember some of these guys from videos my first boyfriend had back in the 1980s, but I’m not so good with names in terms of today’s adult performers.

But the internet loves lists, so I’ll share Rettenmund’s “Top 10” here, but you can click over to Boy Culture for the full Top 40 plus all of his honorary mentions.

As Rettenmund writes, “It’s not science, so please don’t flunk me.”

10. Lukas Ridgeston (b. 1974)
9. Brent Corrigan (Sean Paul Lockhart, b. 1986)
8. Austin Wilde (b. 1983)
7. Kevin Williams (b. 1965)
6. Chad Douglas (Martin R. Cox, 1957-1999/AIDS)
5. Jack Wrangler (John Robert Stillman, 1946-2009/emphysema)
4. Ryan Idol (Marc Anthony Donais, b. 1966)
3. Joey Stefano (Nicholas Anthony Iacona Jr., 1968-1994/O.D.)
2. Jeff Stryker (Charles Casper Peyton, b. 1962)

And Boy Culture’s number one adult entertainment star is…
1. Al Parker (Andrew ‘Drew’ Okun, 1952-1992/AIDS)