A gay man in the UK was knocked unconscious and severely beaten requiring medical attention at a hospital.
Ryan Williams, of Preston, Lancashire, shared his story along with graphic photos of his injuries from the attack on social media.
“I never thought in my life that I would get beaten up for being GAY!,” wrote Williams on his Facebook page. “Wtf has this world actually come too, you’re all vile and disgusting!”
“I want people to understand that being gay isn’t a choice and I can’t help it,” he added. “I’m sorry that you can’t deal with it but hey ho no need to knock someone out because of it!
He closed his post writing, “I seriously can not believe that a homophonic attack happens! Which it does and it’s wrong! Stand strong and love yourself, this isn’t gonna stop me from being fabulous! Being gay is OK!”
Williams told The Mirror he and some friends were headed to McDonalds for a bite to eat after an evening out on July 13.
“There was a group of people nearby in the street and they started calling me and my friends gay,” explained the 22-year-old. “We went over and told them it’s not okay to say things like that.”
But as Williams walked away, he says he was hit in the back of the head and fell to the ground. Stunned from the attack, he was then kicked repeatedly in the face until he blacked out.
He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face.
Police told The Mirror they are treating the attack as a hate crime.
While taking questions from reporters on the White House driveway, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway flipped out a bit over questions regarding Donald Trump’s attacks on four congresswomen of color by asking a reporter about his ethnicity.
Andrew Feinberg, a White House reporter for Breakfast Media, asked Conway, “If the president was not telling these four congresswomen to return to their supposed countries of origin, to which countries was he referring?”
Conway responded asking, “What’s your ethnicity?”
“Why is that relevant?” replied Feinberg.
“Because I’m asking a question,” said Conway. “My ancestors are from Ireland and Italy.”
She then snapped, “A lot of us are sick and tired of this country – of America – coming last, to people who swore an oath of office.”
None of that relates to anything Feinberg was asking. Watch below.
The 2019 Primetime Emmy Award nominations are out and, as expected, Billy Porter snagged a well-earned nomination for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work as “Pray Tell” in FX’s acclaimed series, Pose.
Porter makes history as the first openly gay black man to be nominated for a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award.
The series, which chronicles the ball culture of New York City in the late 80s at the height of the AIDS epidemic, was also nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series category.
RuPaul’s Drag Race was also honored with nine nominations including Outstanding Competition Series.
My favorite limited series of the year, Fosse/Verdon, received 17 nominations including nods for Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams respectively.
And – Randy Report favorite Randy Rainbow snagged a nod for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series.
HBO’s Game of Thrones led the scoreboard with a whopping 32 nominations.
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Here is the list of acting and series nominees. The full list of nominees can be found at Emmys.com.
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Mahershala Ali — “True Detective” (HBO) Benicio Del Toro — “Escape at Dannemora” (Showtime) Hugh Grant — “A Very English Scandal” (BBC) Jared Harris — “Chernobyl” (HBO) Jharrel Jerome — “When They See Us” (Netflix) Sam Rockwell — “Fosse/Verdon” (FX)
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Amy Adams — “Sharp Objects” (HBO) Patricia Arquette — “Escape at Dannemora” (Showtime) Aunjanue Ellis — “When They See Us” (Netflix) Joey King — “The Act” (Hulu) Niecy Nash — “When They See Us” (Netflix) Michelle Williams — “Fosse/Verdon” (FX)
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson — “Black-ish” (ABC) Don Cheadle — “Black Monday” (Showtime) Ted Danson — “The Good Place” (NBC) Michael Douglas — “The Kominsky Method” (Netflix) Bill Hader — “Barry” (HBO) Eugene Levy — “Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television)
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Christina Applegate — “Dead to Me” (Netflix) Rachel Brosnahan — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) Julia Louis-Dryfus — “Veep” (HBO) Natasha Lyonne — “Russian Doll” (Netflix) Catherine O’Hara — “Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television) Phoebe Waller-Bridge — “Fleabag” (Amazon)
Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Jason Bateman — “Ozark” (Netflix) Sterling K. Brown — “This is Us” (NBC) Kit Harington — “Game of Thrones” (HBO) Bob Odenkirk — “Better Call Saul” (Netflix/AMC) Billy Porter — “Pose” (FX) Milo Ventimiglia — “This is Us” (NBC)
Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Emilia Clarke — “Game of Thrones” (HBO) Jodie Comer — “Killing Eve” (BBC/AMC) Viola Davis — “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC) Laura Linney — “Ozark” (Netflix) Mandy Moore — “This is Us” (NBC) Sandra Oh — “Killing Eve” (BBC/AMC) Robin Wright — “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Outstanding Variety Talk Series: “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central) “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” (TBS) “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC) “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO) “The Late Late Show with James Cordon” (CBS) “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
Outstanding Television Movie: “Bandersnatch: Black Mirror” (Netflix) “Brexit” (Amazon) “Deadwood: The Movie” (HBO) “King Lear” (BBC) “My Dinner with Herve” (HBO)
Outstanding Limited Series: “Chernobyl” (HBO) “Escape at Dannemora” (Showtime) “Fosse/Verdon” (FX) “Sharp Objects” (HBO) “When They See Us” (Netflix)
Outstanding Comedy Series: “Barry” (HBO) “Fleabag” (Amazon) “The Good Place” (NBC) “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) “Russian Doll” (Netflix) “Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television) “Veep” (HBO)
Outstanding Drama Series: “Better Call Saul” (AMC) “Bodyguard” (Netflix) “Game of Thrones” (HBO) “Killing Eve” (BBC America) “Ozark” (Netflix) “Pose” (FX) “Succession” (HBO) “This Is Us” (NBC)
As the U.S. House prepares to vote to formally condemn Donald Trump’s racist tweets directed at four progressive House Democratic congresswomen, Trump took to Twitter to again rant on the subject.
Trump claims there was nothing racist about telling women of color to “go back” to the countries they came from.
p.s. all four are U.S. citizens; three of the four born in the U.S. The Donald also begged House Republicans not to vote against him regarding the resolution.
Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show “weakness” and fall into their trap. This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat…..
…..Congresswomen, who I truly believe, based on their actions, hate our Country. Get a list of the HORRIBLE things they have said. Omar is polling at 8%, Cortez at 21%. Nancy Pelosi tried to push them away, but now they are forever wedded to the Democrat Party. See you in 2020!
The Justice Department will not bring federal charges against a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner, ending a yearslong inquiry into a case that sharply divided officials and prompted national protests over excessive force by the police, according to three people briefed on the decision.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn intend to announce the decision not to bring criminal civil rights charges on Tuesday morning, just one day before the fifth anniversary of Mr. Garner’s death. That is the deadline by which they would have to file some of the possible charges against the officer, Daniel Pantaleo.
The decision extinguishes the hopes of the Garner family and their supporters that Officer Pantaleo might face prosecution in a case that ignited demonstrations and debates over the use of force by police officers and led to changes in policing practices across the United States.
Police officers were attempting to arrest Garner for selling individual cigarettes to passersby on the street, thus avoiding sales tax, when the episode escalated ending with Pantaleo choking Garner.
Bystanders recorded the incident where Garner could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” But Pantaleo did not release Garner. A medical examiner concluded that the pressure on Mr. Garner’s neck and chest set off a fatal asthma attack.
Pantaleo has been on desk duty since the incident five years ago which has allowed him to continue to get paid and add time to his pension.
“We’re not going away,” Eric Garner’s mother says following DOJ decision.
“You think it’s swept under the rug? No! It’s not going to be swept under the rug. Because, I’m out here. You all know my face. You’re going to see it even more now.” https://t.co/aLS5pDb9Y1pic.twitter.com/SBu7TyVl2L
“Pantaleo needs to be fired! He needs to be fired” Eric Garner’s daughter Emerald blasts decision for no federal charges on NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo https://t.co/5X2QK5Mptlpic.twitter.com/SO0EXWKNsF
• InstaHunk Phillip Evelyn II (above) says 72 hours rest from the gym does wonders. Somehow, my lengthy time from the gym hasn’t paid off in the same way LOL.
• Variety: After receiving backlash for comments she made about politically correct casting saying that she should be allowed to “play any person, or any tree, or any animal,” Scarlett Johansson clarified the comments saying they were “edited for click bait” and taken out of context.
• NewNowNext: If elected to Congress next November, Dan Baer would the first openly gay man to be seated in the Senate and just the third LGBTQ person elected overall, following Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin in 2012 and Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema last year
• The Guardian: The number of people who said they considered gay sex to be wrong rose for the first time since the AIDS crisis.
• Washington Blade: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has criticized gay adult studio Men.com for an alligator that appears in a scene of its latest porn video.
• Gaily Grind: World War II code-breaker and visionary mathematician who was castrated under Victorian-era anti-gay laws, Alan Turing will be the face of Britain’s new £50 note.
• Billboard Magazine: Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, rules the Billboard Hot 100 for a 15th week, moving to within a week of the record for the most time spent at No. 1 in the chart’s six-decade history.
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” each spent a record 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2017 and 1995-96, respectively.
As tennis enthusiasts remained glued to coverage of the Wimbledon finals this past weekend, a former ball boy for the prestigious tournament shared insider info on the tough training and schedule the ball boys and girls (BBGs) maintain throughout the Championships.
Personal trainer (and InstaHunk) Alex Crockford spoke with The Daily Mail about his two years a ball boy at Wimbledon beginning when he was 15-years-old.
Among his most vivid memories was nearly fainting due to the heat. “I was seeing blurry stars, but I managed to stay standing,” he told the Mail. “That was a hot day.”
Alex Crockford at 15 (image via Crockford)
This year, four people collapsed during the tournament, two of them being BBGs.
Crockford says he would keep water next to the umpires, but would sometimes be too scared to be out of position to grab a drink.
Crockford says just being on court with the major tennis stars of the day was a big perk, even though BBGs aren’t allowed to engage with the athletes due to strict rules.
“The whole process really is very strict,” he explained. “Not talking to anyone including the tennis players. Not reacting to crowds of people watching.”
Crockford, now 29, shared that thousands of teens apply to become BBGs but only a couple of hundred are selected to take part in training classes that begin as early as February.
Necessary skills include ball rolling, throwing and receiving, as well as testing on tennis knowledge on sets, games, when players change side of the court and when to change tennis balls.
For instance, tennis balls are changed during a match after seven games, and then every nine games after that.
“Rolling a ball perfectly flat on the floor and bouncing a ball on the floor only once to a tennis player who is moving is harder than you think!” he explained.
BBGs were also expected to pick up on players’ personal habits.
“I remember one player always wanted to use the same ball after he won a point, so we had to retrieve the ball and serve it back to him,’ he shared. “Others want their towel in a particular place, and some like to be given more balls than others.”
Since his days at Wimbledon, Crockford has become a successful fitness model and personal trainer most known for developing the CROCKFIT method.
You can follow him on Instagram here where he has over 243K followers.
The latest New Hampshire primary poll conducted by Saint Anselm College shows Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) moving into second place while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) drops to fifth place.
• Former Vice President Joe Biden 21% (-2) • Sen. Kamala Harris 18% (+11) • Sen. Elizabeth Warren 17% (+8) • Mayor Pete Buttigieg 12% (+1) • Sen. Bernie Sanders 10% (-6) • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang 5% • Se. Amy Klobuchar 3% (+1) • Author Marianne Williamson 2% (new) • Sen. Cory Booker 1% • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard 1% • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand 1%
The survey did not include other candidates: former U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Tim Ryan, Sen. Michael Bennet, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.
The New Republic’s editor-in-chief, Win McCormack, issued an apology to Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the readers of NR for its recent hatchet job on Buttigieg penned by Dale Peck.
“I want to extend our sincerest apologies to Mayor Buttigieg, as well as to our readers for an article that was inappropriate and offensive,” McCormack wrote in the statement. “We have high standards at The New Republic, but sometimes we fall short. Yesterday we made a mistake, but we remain committed to honoring the tradition of high standards and journalistic integrity that have been the hallmark of The New Republic for more than 100 years.”
Keeping it classy, Buttigieg kept his comments on the subject brief telling the Associated Press, “I appreciated that [the] article was taken down. I don’t think it really reflects the New Republic that I know.”
New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres, the first LGBTQ official elected in the Bronx, has announced he will run to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District in 2020.
The seat is being vacated by Democrat Rep. José E. Serrano, the longest serving Hispanic congressman in the country, who is retiring because he has Parkinson’s disease.
Torres, currently the youngest member of the City Council, would be the first openly gay member of Congress who is either Latinx or Black.
In a May interview with GayCityNews leading up to his campaign announcement, Torres said that he would prioritize housing and healthcare should he be elected to Congress.
Making the race even more interesting, Torres will be running against longtime homophobe (and Democrat in name only) New York City Councilman Rubén Díaz Sr.
Díaz, a former state senator, has been an opponent of same-sex marriage for years, and once attended a protest of an AIDS walk in drag as part of a “March for Morality.” He has been quoted as saying New York City is “controlled by the homosexual community.”
The controversial 76-year-old politician has defended his positions saying his family is “full of gays.” He has a lesbian granddaughter.
But Torres says Díaz’s virulently anti-LGBTQ record is something to spotlight.
“To have an elected official attack the quality and dignity of LGBT people sends a message to young people who are thinking of taking their own life as they struggle with their identity,” Torres told the New York Times.
“The council member has a right to hold whatever beliefs he wants, but he is running in the wrong primary,” Torres said. “He should be running in the Republican primary.”
The 31-year-old has already received several high profile endorsements including The Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ candidates, and as well as the Equality PAC — the political branch of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus — which is made up of more than 150 members of Congress.
You can check out the campaign announcement from Torres below. The Democratic primary will take place in June 2020.
