Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Trump Distorts Former Homeland Security Secretary’s Testimony

President Trump lied yet again in this early  morning tweet claiming “Former Homeland Security Advisor Jeh Johnson is latest top intelligence official to state there was no grand scheme between Trump & Russia.”

First of all, Johnson was Homeland Security Secretary, not “Advisor.”

Second, that’s not at all what Johnson said in testimony yesterday. What Johnson told the House Intelligence Committee yesterday was:

“In 2016, the Russian government, at the direction of (President) Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyberattacks on our nation for the purpose of influencing our election. That is a fact, plain and simple.”

At no time in his testimony did Johnson ever state that there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Posted on

Intel Chiefs: Trump “Suggested” We Announce There Was No Collusion With Russia

CNN reports that in separate, private meetings last week with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators, both Dan Coats (Director of National Intelligence) and Adm. Mike Rogers (National Security Agency Director) said President Trump “suggested” they publicly announce there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers described their interactions with the President about the Russia investigation as odd and uncomfortable, but said they did not believe the President gave them orders to interfere, according to multiple sources familiar with their accounts. Sources say both men went further than they did in June 7 public hearings, when they provided little detail about the interactions.

The sources gave CNN the first glimpse of what the intelligence chiefs said to Mueller’s investigators when they did separate interviews last week. Both men told Mueller’s team they were surprised the President would suggest that they publicly declare he was not involved in collusion, sources said. Mueller’s team, which is in the early stages of its investigation, will ultimately decide whether the interactions are relevant to the inquiry.

It sounds like Trump is basically asking everyone he meets to announce there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Posted on

Biden To LGBT Community: Hold Trump Accountable On His Promise To Be Your Friend

Vice President Joe Biden

Speaking at a private LGBT gala hosted by the Democratic National Committee in New York, former Vice President Joe Biden urged the LGBT community to push back against the Trump administration.

“Hold President Trump accountable for his pledge to be your friend. Just because you don’t have Barack and me in the White House doesn’t mean it’s time to give up, keep quiet, stay on the sidelines.”

Biden really got going, though, when he fiercely denounced that there is “no justification” for inhumane treatment of LGBTQ community in other nations. “None, none, none.”

Posted on

Then And Now Pics Of Gay Couple Kissing 24 Years Apart Goes Viral

Together for 25 years, married couple Kurt English and Nick Cardello shared via social media two photos of the couple kissing – taken 24 years apart.

The first was taken in front of the National Mall on April 25, 1993, at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. They had been dating a year at that point.

The couple legally married in Massachusetts in 2008, and when same-sex marriage was recognized federally in 2015, they exchanged vows again that year in their home state of Florida. They say they’ve promoted LGBTQ rights and acceptance by being out and proud in their daily lives, and taking part in events like the 1993 and 2017 marches.

Fast forward 24 years as the couple attended the recent Equality March for Unity & Pride in Washington D.C. A friend encouraged the couple to recreate the earlier photo, and after posting the pics side by side, found themselves going viral.

“I only posted the photo on my Facebook page after the march. It took off from there,” Cardello told LGBTQ Nation. “Someone else copied it to Twitter, Instagram & Reddit. That’s when it really took off. A reporter from Brazil said it had over a million likes there.”

Cardello added, “The youth needs to see that it is possible to find a loving partner, and that the relationship can last,” he said, noting that portrayals of same-sex couples growing old together are rare. “A loving partner can be a difficult thing to find, once you do you must protect it and nurture it.”

I couldn’t agree more. Hot hubby Michael and I have been together since October 1994, and often hear from other LGBTs wonder where longevity in a relationship comes from. I’m no expert, but I’m sure Kurt and Nick would agree honesty is one of the key ingredients to long term relationships.

Congrats to the handsome couple! Here’s to 25 years more!

The viral sensation even inspired other couples to share their own then and now pics as well.

Posted on

New York State Senate Confirms Judge Paul Feinman To State’s Highest Court

The New York state Senate has confirmed Justice Paul G. Feinman to the New York Court of Appeals becoming the first openly gay judge to serve on the state’s highest court.

Feinman spent only an hour before the Senate Judiciary Committee answering what was described as friendly questions before being unanimously approved to the floor of the Senate, where he was confirmed today.

The 57 year-old Mets fan lives with his his husband on Roosevelt Island.

(source)

Posted on

Colton Haynes Joins Season 7 Cast Of “American Horror Story”

Colton Haynes

After his stints on horror television series’ Teen Wolf and Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, I think Colton Haynes will be quite at home as part of the upcoming 7th season of Murphy’s wildly successful anthology series, American Horror Story.

Haynes confirmed the casting via Instagram posting a blood-smeared pic of his face with the caption, “American Horror Story Season 7 … Already feels like home 🙂 So excited @mrrpmurphy.”

According to reports,  season seven’s theme will embrace aspects of the 2016 presidential election.

A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on Jun 20, 2017 at 5:28pm PDT

Posted on

First Look: “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace”

Entertainment Weekly has the first look at the followup to last year’s wildly successful mini-series by Ryan Murphy, The People v. O.J. Simpson.

 American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace will star Edgar Ramírez as the murdered designer, Ricky Martin as Versace’s lover, GLEE’s Darren Criss as murderer Andrew Cunanan, and Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace.

Due in early 2018.

Posted on

Queen Elizabeth II Vows To Protect LGBTs From Discrimination

During Queen Elizabeth II’s address to Parliament today, her Majesty specifically promised to protect LGBTs from discrimination.

From the speech:

“My ministers will seek to enhance rights and protections in the modern workplace. My  government will make further progress to tackle the gender pay gap and discrimination against people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability or sexual orientation.”

Additionally, there was conspicuously no mention of President Trump visiting the UK this fall causing some to wonder if the trip has now been cancelled.

The speech is cued up below for the mention of LGBT protections.

Posted on

Former Homeland Security Secretary: A “Plain And Simple Fact” That Putin Ordered Cyber Attack On 2016 Election

Speaking before Congress today, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson left no doubts regarding Russia’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee and interference that was meant to disrupt the 2016 presidential election.

“The Russian government, at the direction of Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyber attacks on our nation for the purpose of influence our election,” he said. “That is a fact, plain and simple.”

From Raw Story:

President Donald Trump has regularly hedged in public when asked if he believes Russia interfered in the 2016 election. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday claimed that he had not spoke with the president about his views on Russia’s role in disrupting the election, and would not confirm if Trump actually believed Russia was behind the hacks of the DNC and former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

Posted on

Trailer: “Hello Again”

Glad to see Michael John LaChiusa’s musical HELLO AGAIN finally coming to the big screen. I remember seeing the original Lincoln Center production on Broadway in 1994 and loved it.

The musical consists of a series of two person scenes. Each actor appears in back to back scenes as a similar character, and as the scenes play out, each actor drops for a new one. So, for example, scene one features actors A and B; scene 2 features actors B and C; scene 3 features actors C and D, and so forth. And each scene changes time periods.

Throughout the characters flip from being the pursuer to the pursued. And the music is terrific.

From the press release:

SPEAKproductions, in association with TBD Productions and Martian Entertainment, have just released a sneak peek at the first trailer for HELLO AGAIN.

The highly anticipated film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa’s musical. HELLO AGAIN chases 10 fleeting love affairs across 10 periods in New York City history.

The ensemble cast features six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Emmy Award-winner and Tony nominee Martha Plimpton, Emmy and Drama Desk nominee T.R. Knight, Rumer Willis, Cheyenne Jackson, SAG Award-winner and Grammy nominee Jenna Ushkowitz, Teen Choice Award-winner Tyler Blackburn, Sam Underwood, Nolan Gerard Funk and Al Calderon. HELLO AGAIN, directed by Tom Gustafson, features a screenplay by Cory Krueckeberg and music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa.

Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s 1896 controversial play, Der Reigen, and the classic 1950 Max Ophuls film La Ronde, the film HELLO AGAIN is based on the Michael John LaChiusa stage musical of the same name. HELLO AGAIN was first presented on stage by Lincoln Center Theatre in 1994 featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Donna Murphy, Malcolm Gets, Carolee Carmello, Michael Park, Michelle Pawk, John Dossett and Judy Blazer.

The film closed Italy’s Lovers Film Fest last night and will be seen on the film festival circuit throughout the summer.

Watch the trailer below.