LGBTQ news and entertainment
Funnyman Michael Henry has created/written/produced a new web series titled, The Journey of Being Likable.
“This is the show for people that have ever felt out of place, misunderstood, or less than,” says Henry.
“For gay people who feel underrepresented and for people who are trying to navigate where they belong in the landscape of their own community.”
Watch the trailer and first episode below.
A new coming-of-age film from director/producer Greg Berlanti – Love, Simon.
The film looks to be reminiscent of those 1980s big studio, John Hughes romantic dramedies about teenagers in love.
Except for this time – the lead is gay.
Via press release:
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year-old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online.
Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, Love, Simon is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.
“No matter what, announcing to the world is pretty terrifying, cause … what if the world doesn’t like you?”
I know a few folks who might relate to this (as I raise my hand “Me! Me!”).
The film’s production team has an awesome pedigree across the board. Looking forward to seeing this.
Love, Simon arrives in theaters everywhere March 16, 2018.
Even though we have to wait until January 4 for a regular Thursday night episode of Will & Grace, NBC is “gracing” us with a special holiday episode on Tuesday, December 5.
Apparently, the fearsome foursome travel back in time to 1912 Manhattan.
Via TV Guide:
Will & Grace’s “A Gay Olde Christmas,” airing the first week of December, starts with Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing)), Karen’s (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes) wishing they could experience the New York city of old, and then by the magic of TV, are transported to 1912 Manhattan via alter egos.
Will will become Billem Van Williams, a wealthy and worldly (read: probably gay) man with exquisite taste married to Fanny Van Williams, who’ll bear an uncanny resemblance to Grace. Megan Mullally, meanwhile, is in an ironic role reversal as Karolyn O’Malley, a dirt poor woman living in a tenement; she takes in a sailor, John Patrick Mcgee (Sean Hayes) who has relationships with men only at sea. This is all right before World War I, a time of great prosperity — for some — and the episode will show how their disparate worlds intersect.
Additionally, there will be a subtle homage to Debbie Reynolds, who played Grace’s mother during the original run of the show.
Will & Grace airs “A Gay Ole Christmas” Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 9/8c on NBC.
In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s crass reference to “Pocahontas” during a ceremony at the White House yesterday meant to honor Native American veterans of WWII, the leader of the Navajo Nation said he found the reference to be an ethnic slur and inappropriate for the occasion.
During an interview with CNN, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said Trump’s political attack on Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren during a ceremony honoring Navajo code talkers was “uncalled for.”
“This was a day to honor them, and to insert something like that — the word ‘Pocahontas’ as a jab to a senator — you know, that belongs on the campaign trail,” Begaye said. “That doesn’t belong in the room when our war heroes are being honored.”
Sonny Skyhawk, the founder of American Indians in Film & Television, told CNN that Trump deliberately held the ceremony in front of a painting of President Andrew Jackson who signed the Indian Removal Act. That legislation led to thousands of Native American deaths due to over 60,000 being forced to relocate.
Skyhawk said there’s no way Trump didn’t know the history, noting, “Andrew Jackson is one of his heroes.”
Watch the interview segment below.
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| Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends LGBT Pride |
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will formally apologize in the House of Commons in Ottawa this afternoon for the Canadian gay purge of the 1950s.
The “purge” began in the mid-20th century amid fears that the Soviet Union would be able to blackmail LGBTs for their private lives. Homosexuality was illegal in Canada until 1969.
In addition to the official apology, the government will offer reparation of over $100 million to those who were affected during the time.
The Canadian government will also donate $250,000 to LGBT charities that spotlight anti-LGBT discrimination and homophobia.
Legislation will be introduced that will allow Canadians to apply for removal of criminal records for convictions in the past, and families of those deceased will be able to do so as well to clear their loved ones’ names.
Canada is following the lead of several other major countries who have reflected on the poor treatment of LGBTs.
The United Kingdom has issued a formal apology to thousands of gay men convicted of anti-gay crimes in the mid-20th century, and Germany’s Parliament unanimously voted to pardon 50,000 men convicted of homosexuality in the past.
You can watch Trudeau in the House of Commons deliver the country’s apology at 12:15PM PT here.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Issues Formal Apology For Abuses Of LGBT Citizens.pic.twitter.com/75RyZ9Yx2M— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) November 28, 2017
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| Timothée Chalamet (L) and Armie Hammer (R) in Call Me By Your Name |
Acclaimed gay coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name had a great start on the awards season last night at the Gotham Independent Film Awards picking up “Best Feature” and “Breakthrough Actor.”
I predict it’s going to be a fun couple of months for Timothée Chalamet, who plays the young male lead in the highly anticipated film.
Click over to The Hollywood Reporter for a full list of winners.
As Australia’s Senate debates marriage equality legislation, with hopes of passing by Christmas, same-sex marriage opponents are seeing their amendments meant to water down the bill voted down in rapid succession.
Via Buzzfeed:
The amendments would have added far-reaching exemptions into the bill, including the right for all celebrants to refuse to solemnise gay weddings on religious or conscientious grounds and legal protections for people who don’t believe in same-sex marriage or think gay relationships are wrong.
Their decisive defeat is a considerable victory for the “yes” campaign and LGBTI advocates, who feared opponents of same-sex marriage would try and insert clauses into the bill that would roll back anti-discrimination law.
The first amendment debated by the Senate would have effectively allowed civil celebrants to refuse to marry same-sex couples based on their religious or conscientious beliefs. It was defeated 42-24.
The second would have legislated widespread legal freedom of speech protections for people who hold various beliefs, including those against same-sex marriage but also against same-sex parenting and relationships, as well as an anti-detriment clause and a legislated parental right to pull children out of classes that mention the relevant beliefs. It went down 44-20 after a few hours of debate.
A further amendment relating to defence force chaplains was also defeated, as were amendments in relation to registered charities and religious organisations, with similar margins.
After the five amendments from the conservative bloc were defeated, the Senate also voted down two amendments from Brandis and resources minister Matthew Canavan.
The first, defeated 36-27, would have inserted a line about religious freedom taken from the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights into the bill, and the second, defeated 38-25, would have extended a right to civil celebrants to refuse to solemnise gay weddings.
BuzzFeed News understands that supporters of the legislation are confident that very few, if any, amendments will get up and the Smith bill will pass the Senate largely unamended.
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| Eric Trump |
President Donald Trump on Monday called Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) “Pocahontas,” an attack he uses often, during a White House event celebrating Navajo Code Talkers.
Just to remind you, here’s the video:
Here’s the video: Trump calls Elizabeth Warren ‘Pocahontas’ while honoring Native American code talkers: “You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas.” pic.twitter.com/hjZ5MInDDf— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 27, 2017
Unfortunately, his son Eric decided he wanted to compete with brother Don Jr. again for the high honor of “Dumbest Trump.”
Eric picked a fight with an ABC News reporter arguing since ABC’s parent company is Disney, and Disney made the animated feature Pocahontas, the reporter has no standing to say using the word “Pocahontas” is “offensive.”
The irony of an ABC reporter (whose parent company Disney has profited nearly half a billion dollars on the movie “Pocahontas”) inferring that the name is “offensive” is truly staggering to me.— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 28, 2017
You get where this is going, yes? Right over Eric’s head.
Eric, let’s have a chat.Try to keep up. 1/
— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 28, 2017
First, lets start with irony.I know you used it in your tweet, but tbh, you prob don’t know what it means.
i·ro·ny
noun
the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. 2/— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 28, 2017
Okay, now lets break down the ABC reporter/ Disney thing.Using the word “Pocahontas” as the title of a movie about, “Pocahontas” is not offensive. It would be weird if they called the movie something else. That’s kind of how history works. You don’t get to make up names. 3/
— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 28, 2017
Now, when your dad used “Pocahontas,” he wasn’t actually talking about Pocahontas. He was talking about Elizabeth Warren. That’s how it becomes offensive. Does this make sense to you? Maybe you need examples? 4/— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 28, 2017
Example 1:If I am talking about you and I say, “oh, its Eric Trump” – not offensive.
If I see some person (not you) on the street with a fucked up looking face and teeth and say “Hey, are you Eric Trump?” – offensive 5/
— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 28, 2017
Eric Trump doesn’t understand the difference between Disney making a movie about the actual Pocahontas, and his dad calling a white senator “Pocahontas.” https://t.co/0IW4GqKdrW— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) November 28, 2017
Ummm, bright eyes, that movie was about celebrating the actual person Pocahontas. Your father using it as a term of derision for a Dem senator in front of heroes is what is offensive.— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) November 28, 2017
For all those who say calling someone Pocahontas isn’t a racial slur would you say the same if the President called someone “Booker T.” Or “Confucius” or “Menachem” as a way to highlight question of African or Chinese or Jewish ancestry?— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) November 28, 2017
In this week’s podcast:
• Chile begins debate on same-sex marriage
• Hate crimes against LGBTs have doubled in five years in Russia
• Democratic senators introduce the LGBT Elder Americans Act
• A growing number of millennial men are more prone to identify as the more fluid “mostly straight” than use the term “bisexual”
• The highly anticipated gay-themed film, “Call Me By Your Name,” leads the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards with six nominations and does great box office in its first week in domestic release.
• Pink and Channing Tatum challenge gender-norms in her new music video, “Beautiful Trauma.”
All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report.
Listen below.