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Out Films: “After Louie” Starring Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming in After Louie

Artist and AIDS activist Vincent Gagliostro’s debut feature After Louie will premiere on March 30, 2018 in New York City to be followed by a video on demand release across cable, internet and satellite platforms.

Synopsis:

After Louie stars Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) as Sam, an artist and activist from ACT UP who lived through the early years of HIV/AIDS and is struggling with survivor’s guilt and Zachary Booth (Last Weekend) as Braeden, a seductive younger man that Sam meets in a bar. The pair drop their pants and quickly thereafter Sam drops his emotional guard.

They develop an intergenerational relationship that reawakens Sam’s artistic soul and reviving his wilted heart.

Beyond the evocative performances and setting, After Louie is a love letter to New York City: engaging its rich backdrop, while honoring the history of the gay rights movement and the progress that’s been made.

Amid the arguments over politics, loss, aging, white privilege and the dark side of gay sexuality, After Louie offers up a pervasively wicked sense of humor and a big, generous, survivor’s heart.

The cast also includes Zachary Booth, Sarita Choudhury, David Drake, Joseph Arias, Justin Vivian Bond, Eric Berryman, Patrick Breen, Wilson Cruz.

Gagliostro began his professional career as an art director in the worlds of fashion and beauty, creating campaigns for a variety of major brands while working with renowned photographers.

In 1987, Gagliostro became a founding member of ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).

In the early 90’s Gagliostro started a quarterly journal titled, XXXFRUIT, which was then commissioned by the Whitney Museum for an online version. At the same time he was the creative director of QW, a New York weekly gay news magazine.

He was a contributing cinematographer for the Oscar nominated documentary, How To Survive a Plague.

“The film’s passion, insights and feeling frequently hit home. A thoughtful contemplation of what it means to be gay today.”
— Sarah Ward, SCREEN DAILY

“One of the most exciting queer films of 2017 so far.”
— Jude Dry, INDIEWIRE

“After Louie may well be the most important gay movie you will see in your lifetime.”
– John Paul King, LOS ANGELES BLADE

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Trailer: “Funny Sometimes Gay” Web Series MATT & DAN

Dropping the trailer for their new Matt & Dan web series, Matt Wilkas (Gayby, New York Is Dead) ( and Daniel Vincent Gordh (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Eastsiders) describe the project as “some funny sometimes gay stuff.” You may also know Wilkas as Gus Kenworthy’s boyfriend who received the kiss seen round the world at the Winter Olympics this year 😉 Season One starts next Wednesday but you can check out the trailer below.

 

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Kate Kendell To End 22 Year Tenure As Executive Director Of National Center For Lesbian Rights

Kate Kendell

After a 22-year tenure with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, lesbian activist Kate Kendell has announced she will step down as head of the San Francisco-based LGBTQ advocacy group.

From The Washington Blade:

Kendell said in a statement her decades on the job at the now leading LGBT organization “has widened my vistas and laid open my heart.”

“I am honored to have held this position and privileged to have experienced the countless moments of joy and awe that have forever changed our lives as LGBTQ individuals,” Kendell said. “I’ve been at the center of enormous NCLR victories, four at the U.S. Supreme Court, including the freedom to marry, a fight that seemed impossible to many when I became executive director 22 years ago. I feel enormous gratitude to have been a part of the NCLR legacy and part of the history of the fight — still on-going — for justice for all LGBTQ people.”

Kendell’s efforts over more than two decades can be seen across a wide swath of the LGBTQ landscape.

From the beginnings of same-sex marriage with then-Mayor Gavin Newsome of San Francisco to the California Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality; banning “ex-gay” therapy to fighting Donald Trump’s ban on transgender soldiers; and lots of LGBTQ legislation around the country.

Kendell’s colleagues in LGBTQ advocacy have nothing but praise for her decades of work:

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Donald Trump Brags He Lied To Canadian Prime Minister About Trade

President Trump boasted at a private fundraiser in Missouri Wednesday of making up trade claims during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before knowing whether they were true.

Quel surprise!

Discussing trade relations with the U.S. ally, Trump lied about running a trade deficit. The Donald told his audience last night, “I didn’t even know.”

From The Washington Post:

President Trump boasted in a fundraising speech Wednesday that he made up information in a meeting with the leader of a top U.S. ally, saying he insisted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with its neighbor to the north without knowing whether that was the case.

“Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please,’ ” Trump said, mimicking Trudeau, according to audio of the private event in Missouri obtained by The Washington Post. “Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in — ‘Donald, we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed.

“… So, he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. … I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid. … And I thought they were smart. I said, ‘You’re wrong, Justin.’ He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case, I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said, ‘Check, because I can’t believe it.’

As the audio recording became news this morning, Trump took to Twitter to repeat that the U.S. has a trade deficit with Canada.

However, the Office of the United States Trade Representative reported in 2016 that the United States exported $12.5 billion more in goods and services than it imported from Canada, leading to a trade surplus, not a deficit.

Watch NBC News’ report below.

And nothing but the truth.A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Mar 15, 2018 at 6:29am PDT

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Former Reality TV Host Prez Picks Current TV Host As Top Financial Advisor

President Donald Trump will name Larry Kudlow, CNBC TV host, as the next head of the White House National Economic Council, two sources familiar with the decision according to CNN.

Trump apparently offered Kudlow the job Tuesday night during a phone call and he accepted.

Kudlow will be Trump’s second top economic adviser after Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who held the position for a year, resigned earlier this month over disagreements regarding the President’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Folks were quick to point out some choice facts about Kudlow:

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AG Jeff Sessions Considering Firing Andrew McCabe Just Days Before Retirement, Would Lose Pension After 22 Years At FBI

Andrew McCabe

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering firing former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe just days before his retirement.

McCabe is set to officially retire on March 18 but, according to a source, could be fired just days before and lose his pension after a 22-year career.

McCabe stepped down in January, many say he was told to do so. His official retirement couldn’t begin until this Sunday as he needs to be 50 years-old to leave the FBI with his pension intact.

More from CNN:

CNN has learned the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility has recommended McCabe be fired and now the decision is up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The issue stems from findings in an internal Justice Department watchdog report that claims he misled investigators about his decision to authorize FBI officials to speak to the media about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

A representative for McCabe declined to comment.

That report, which has been complete for over a week, according to the source, has not been released publicly. The office is currently examining how investigations were handled at the department and the FBI in advance of the 2016 presidential election, including, notably, the Hillary Clinton email server probe.

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Nick Robinson Chats On His Brother Coming Out While He Shot “Love, Simon”

Actor Nick Robinson chatted with Ellen DeGeneres about his new coming-out/coming-of-age film Love, Simon and what it was like to have his brother come out while shooting the movie.

The movie opens this Friday nationwide.

The notices for Love, Simon have been very good. Here’s just a sample of the reviews:

“Simon is a fully realized three-dimensional character, hilariously unsteady when he tries to flirt with a landscaper and a wreck when a friend gets wind of the email exchanges. How refreshing to see a teen boy on a big screen that’s not a sleepy-eyed, monosyllabic jerk just looking to get laid.” — Us Weekly‘s Mara Reinstein

“That this story is coming from a major studio, with the gay kid depicted as an all-American everyboy and main character, rather than a comic sidekick, represents undeniably heartening progress.” — AV Club‘s Jesse Hassenger

“There’s still something undeniably powerful about ‘Love, Simon’s’ ordinariness. After all, there have been dozens of mediocre studio films about straight teen romances over the decades; it says something about the direction of the film industry to finally see one centered on a young gay man.” — The Atlantic‘s David Sims

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy shared his rave review via Twitter:

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Stormy Daniels Launches Crowdfunding Campaign To Cover Legal Costs Of Breaking Trump Non-Disclosure Agreement

Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels has launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the legal costs of breaking her non-disclosure agreement with Donald Trump regarding her alleged sexual relationship she had with him over a decade ago.

As we all know by now, Daniels accepted $130,000 from Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as hush money 12 days before the election.

“I am attempting to speak honestly and openly to the American people about my relationship with now President Donald Trump and the intimidation and tactics used against me,” Daniels says on the fundraising page.

“But unfortunately, I do not have the vast resources to fight Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen alone,” she writes. “Thank you for supporting me.”

From The Washington Post:

Daniels says on the website that she will use donations for attorney’s fees, out-of-pocket legal costs, any damages assessed against her and security costs. Avenatti cited “credible” threats against Daniels in recent days, though he would not detail those threats or her security measures. Refunds of any leftover money will be prorated under the CrowdJustice.com policy.

Avenatti told CNN last week that “at least” 10 people have offered to give Daniels $1 million so she can speak freely about her relationship with Trump.

“We could have easily gone out and secretly raised millions from a number of ‘fat cat’ donors who don’t like the president,” Avenatti told The Post on Wednesday. “But that isn’t in the spirit of what this is about.”

Here’s the link to the crowdfunding campaign at CrowdJustice.com.

And here’s her full statement there:

My name is Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels).

I am attempting to speak honestly and openly to the American people about my relationship with now President Donald Trump, as well as the intimidation and tactics that he, together with his attorney Michael Cohen, have used to silence me.

In order to tell my story, I have had to file a public lawsuit in Los Angeles, California in an effort to void a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that Mr. Trump never signed and yet is trying to use to intimidate me.

Rather than agree that the NDA is invalid, thus allowing me to talk, Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have instead attempted to hide the facts from the public using a bogus arbitration proceeding and have threatened me with millions of dollars in damages ($1M each time I speak out) if I tell the truth about what happened.

I recently made an offer to return the $130,000 I was previously paid if it was agreed that I could simply tell the truth publicly. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen did not even bother to respond.

I need funds to pay for: attorneys’ fees; out-of-pocket costs associated with the lawsuit, arbitration, and my right to speak openly; security expenses; and damages that may be awarded against me if I speak out and ultimately lose to Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen.

I am more fortunate than many, many people in this country. And for that I am grateful. But unfortunately, I do not have the vast resources to fight Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen alone. Thank you for supporting me.

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Ellen And Sean Hayes Have A “Battle Of The Gays” Over Their Iconic TV Shows

Sean Hayes and Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres and Will & Grace star Sean Hayes found themselves in a “Battle of the Gays” while arguing about each of their iconic TV shows.

Hayes: “You’ve been on the air for 15 years.”

Ellen: “On this particular show yes, I’ve also done other things in the past. So, Will & Grace, how long now?”

Hayes: “Longer than 15…”

Ellen: “How long was it the first time around before y’all got canceled?”

Hayes: “I think it was longer than your sitcom.”

Ellen: “Yeah, that’s right. I had to come out first for y’all to do that sitcom. Go ahead.”

Very funny stuff. Watch below.