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Gus Kenworthy Shares His Coming Out Story With PEOPLE

In Coming Out Stories, a new video series from PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly, 16 LGBTQ people from all walks of life share how they opened up to friends, family and the world — and how their lives changed.

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy looks back on his coming out journey and shares the message he’d love to tell his younger self:

“I think that I would have told that younger person not to be so afraid to let everyone else know that I was gay, because it’s been incredible.

“I think if I could have told my younger self, ‘Just wait. When you’re older you’re going to out and proud and you’re going to have a boyfriend. And you’re going to be so excited to share yourself authentically with the world and it’s going to make a difference for other people.’

“I think it would have given that young kid a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Gus also explains that, even though he didn’t understand the feelings at the time, he probably knew he was gay when he was five years-old.

In lighter moments, Gus describes being in an Uber with a driver asking him “Where are the hot chicks tonight?” The 26-year-old Olympian exults in being able to respond, “Actually, I don’t know because I’m gay. Where are the dudes?”

Others sharing their stories include Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Grey’s Anatomy actress Sara Ramirez, retired NBA player Jason Collins, social media star Tyler Oakley and Brooke Guinan, a New York City firefighter who is transgender.

PEOPLE and EW partnered with GLSEN, the LGBT advocacy group that fights to make schools safe for all kids, to create Coming Out Stories.

Watch Gus below and then click over to people.com/comingoutstories for more.

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Adam Rippon To Mike Pence: “Are You Still For Me? Are You Still For Other LGBTQ Americans?”

Out Olympian Adam Rippon on CNN’s New Day this morning said now that the Winter Olympics are over, he’d be willing to meet with Vice President Mike Pence about LGBTQ issues.

“Now is the right time,” Rippon said. “The Olympics are over. You don’t get to make any sort of change if you don’t try to at least try to reach across and have the opportunity to speak.”

Rippon said he himself doesn’t have anything personal to address with Pence, but he’d like to see LGBTQ folks who have been affected by Pence’s anti-gay policies have a chance to speak with the veep.

“He tweeted at me and he said I want you to know that I’m for you and I’m for all the Olympians, which I think that’s great, but I don’t believe it, because when I go home, are you still for me? Are you still for other LGBTQ Americans? That’s where I feel like the tweet is almost disingenuous.”

Watch below.

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Mississippi: Starkville City Council Reverses And Issues Permit For Pride Parade

After the Board of Aldermen in Starkville, Mississippi, voted against issuing a permit to allow the town’s first Pride parade, organizers filed a federal lawsuit saying the Board’s decision to ban speech by Starkville Pride on city streets is a violation of the First Amendment and its discriminatory treatment, based solely on LGBT-related animus, violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

And so, the Starkville Board of Aldermen held another vote tonight to consider the permit.

With Ward 3 Alderman David Little abstaining, the vote was tied at 3-3. Mayor Lynn Spruill became the tiebreaking vote.

Mayor Spruill had previously denounced the denial saying, “I think it sends a message that we are not the inclusive community that I believe us to be.”

Starkville Pride was live-tweeting during the meeting:

Renowned civil rights attorney, Roberta A. Kaplan, who represented Starkville Pride, issued the following statement:

“Bailey McDaniel, Emily Turner and Starkville Pride stood up to vindicate the right to freedom of speech held by every American, no matter whether they are straight or gay.

What happened at tonight’s meeting was a victory not only for our clients and for their equal dignity under the law, but also for the core principle that in this country, we do not restrict a person’s ability to speak based on whether or not we agree with what they have to say.

We look forward to celebrating Pride with the LGBT community of Starkville and the rest of Mississippi on March 24.”

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BREAKING: Stormy Daniels Files Lawsuit Saying NDA Is “Invalid”

Donald Trump with Stormy Daniels

NBC News is reporting that adult film star Stormy Daniels has filed a lawsuit saying the non-disclosure agreement between Donald Trump and herself is invalid because Trump never signed it.

The suit alleges that her agreement not to disclose her “intimate” relationship with Trump is not valid because while both Daniels and Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen signed it, Trump never did.

Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, signed both the agreement and a side letter agreement using her professional name on October 28, 2016, just days before the 2016 presidential election. Cohen signed the document the same day. Both agreements are appended to the lawsuit as Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2.

The “hush agreement,” as it’s called in the suit, refers to Trump throughout as David Dennison, and Clifford as Peggy Peterson. The side letter agreement reveals the true identities of the parties as Clifford and Trump.

Each document includes a blank where “DD” is supposed to sign, but neither blank is signed.

According to the lawsuit, Clifford and Trump had an intimate relationship that lasted from summer 2006 “well into the year 2007.” The relationship allegedly included meetings in Lake Tahoe and at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

NBC News goes on to say Clifford’s reps say there have been attempts as recently as the last few weeks to keep her quiet.

The lawsuit also asserts that Donald Trump, as a client of Michael Cohen, must be aware of the behind-the-scenes machinations since the New York bar association requires Cohen to keep his clients informed at all times.

I have to add, however, that this news will not affect any of Trump’s supporters.

His straight, white male followers will just say, “I’d do the same thing.”

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News Round-Up: March 6, 2018

(photo credit: Lee Faircloth)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Paleontologist & athlete Francesc Gascó is serving serious buff and beard (above).

• Anti-LGBT bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein, who owned and operated Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Oregon, are still trying to get out of paying their $135,000 fine for refusing to sell a lesbian couple a wedding cake even though a crowd-funding campaign gave them a $500,000 windfall. #MakingMoneyOnHate

• Some folks didn’t appreciate out Olympian Adam Rippon’s leather harness-styled tux at the Oscars, but he says it made him feel “cool AF.” I thought he rocked it.

• This Toronto man had a sexual hook up with accused serial killer Bruce McArthur and lived to tell about it. Police say he was in a “kill position.”

• Menswear ads in the Netherlands featuring male couples kissing are being vandalized. Who knew there were such haters in the Netherlands?

• Gus Kenworthy (looking totally swoon-worthy) penned a clever Instagram post in the style of a “missed connections” ad after he and bf Matt Wilkas chatted up superstar Ricky Martin and his husband Jwan Yosef at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

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Report: Where Do Same-Sex Married Couples Live?

A new report from The Tax Policy Center gives us some clues about married same-sex couples in the U.S.

For instance, the average adjusted gross income of married male couples in 2015 was about $165,960, versus $118,415 for female couples and $115,210 for different-sex couples.

But catch this: male same-sex couples with dependent children had an average income of $264,000, more than double that of female couples and straight couples with dependent children.

When you crunch the numbers by state (plus the District of Columbia), D.C. wins hands-down with same-sex couples making up 4.17% of all married couples.

Massachusetts and Vermont tied in second place at 0.99%.

Sad trombone sound – North Dakota brings up the rear with 0.13%.

But what about city by city?

Here’s the report’s top 10 cities for married same-sex couples:

1. San Francisco, CA – 13,220 married same-sex couples (1.52 percent)

2. Santa Rosa, CA – 1,416 married same-sex couples (1.25 percent)

3. Seattle, WA – 9,281 married same-sex couples (1.09 percent)

4. Boston, MA – 9,458 married same-sex couples (1.04 percent)

5. Portland, OR – 4,006 married same-sex couples (0.97 percent)

6. Miami, FL – 5,131 married same-sex couples (0.92 percent)

7. Albuquerque, NM – 1,248 married same-sex couples (0.90 percent)

8. San Diego, CA – 845 married same-sex couples (0.88 percent)

9. New York, NY – 13,892 married same-sex couples (0.84 percent)

10. Portland, ME – 1,111 married same-sex couples (0.83 percent)

Did any of that surprise you? I’d have thought NYC would have been higher on the list, but the population of the city is 8 million, so…

Loving that Albuquerque is in there. New Mexico is a beautiful state that doesn’t get enough attention in my opinion 🙂

(source)

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Totally Sweet Dad Scene From Upcoming LOVE, SIMON

Nick Robinson in Love, Simon

March 16 is the date we finally get to see Love, Simon which looks to be one of the first mainstream coming-of-age/coming out movies.

The flick stars completely adorable Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) as “Simon,” and Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner co-star as his parents.

With out director/producer Greg Berlanti directing (Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Green Lantern, Everwood, Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow), I know I’m going to love it.

In this newly-released clip, you get a sense of Simon’s relationship with his dad. Not only is Duhamel the daddy we all probably wished for (on many levels), he even throws in a Grindr joke for good measure.

Watch the new clip plus the latest trailer below.

Josh Duhamel in Love, Simon
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Take Two: Actor Lee Pace Comes Out (Again)

Lee Pace

Actor Lee Pace, who plays “Joe Pitt,” a closeted gay Mormon man in the Broadway revival of Angels in America caught some unexpected press last week after he hesitantly came out during a recent interview with W Magazine.

Apparently, Pace is a very private person and was surprised by reporter Brian Moylan’s question about his sexuality.

“I’ve dated men [and] I’ve dated women. I don’t know why anyone would care,” Pace said at the time. “I’m an actor and I play roles. To be honest, I don’t know what to say — I find your question intrusive.”

That answer apparently didn’t sit well with many in the LGBTQ community especially in light of Pace taking on his high profile gay role in Angels In America.

So Pace is giving the question a second take via a string of tweets wherein he says he “happily owns” being part of the LGBTQ community and that he understands “the importance of living openly.”

In a recent phone interview, I was asked questions that I wasn’t expecting and found myself momentarily at a loss for the right words. My privacy is important to me, so I protect it. When interviewed by the media, I keep the focus on my work.

As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of living openly, being counted, and happily owning who I am. That’s how I’ve always lived my life…just as it’s been important to me to portray queer characters with dignity for my entire career: A Soldier’s Girl (Showtime. 2003). The Normal Heart (Broadway. 2011). Halt and Catch Fire (AMC. 2014-2017). Angels in America. (Broadway. NOW.)

Onward, with Pride.

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Cher Apologizes For Selfie With Aussie Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Cher with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

As I recently reported, international superstar Cher thrilled the crowd of over 300,000 at the annual Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras this past weekend.

Not only did she dazzle the audience with a 20 minute set at the huge after-party event, she showed up at the Parade as well.

The only hitch in the whole magilla was a selfie she took with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the parade.

It appears Cher was not up to speed on Australian politics and didn’t realize that it was Turnbull who put the entire country through the recent mail-in survey on marriage equality before he would allow legislators to take up the issue.

As we all know know, same-sex marriages happily began ‘down under’ in January.

But folks took the iconic Oscar winner to task for honoring Turnbull with a selfie.

In the end, Cher offered a sincere mea culpa adding “Guess that’s why I have FEW Friends Who Are Politicians.”

Check out the tweets below.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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“Call Me By Your Name” Director Says Sequel Is In The Works

Timothée Chalamet (L) and Armie Hammer (R) in Call Me By Your Name


USA Today is reporting that Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino is already planning the film’s sequel.

“I’m already conceiving the story with André Aciman, and it’s gonna happen five or six years afterwards,” Guadagnino told reporter Carly Mallenbaum. “It’s gonna be a new movie, a different tone.”

The director also revealed the sequel will star Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet but will have a different backdrop. “They’re gonna go around the world,” he said.

In January, Guadagnino told The Hollywood Reporter the sequel would also find the AIDS epidemic central to the new storyline.

The disease, however, will be tackled head-on in the sequel, says Guadagnino, who hopes the awards contender is the first installment of a decades-long Before Sunrise-like series. “I think it’s going to be a very relevant part of the story,” he told THR at Jan. 13’s Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

“I think Elio [Timothee Chalamet] will be a cinephile, and I’d like him to be in a movie theater watching Paul Vecchiali’s Once More,” a 1988 film about a man who falls in love with a man after he leaves his wife, which was the first French movie to deal with AIDS. “That,” said Guadagnino, “could be the first scene [in the sequel].”

“The novel has 40 pages at the end that goes through the next 20 years of the lives of Elio and Oliver, so there is some sort of indication through the intention of author Andre Aciman that the story can continue,” Guadagnino added.

Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes you find lightning in a bottle. My take on CMBYN is that the delicate, thoughtful exploration of first love made the film so charming.

Two words: Grease 2.