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First Look At New Netflix Series ‘The Politician’ Starring Ben Platt

Check out the latest from producer Ryan Murphy, who gave us Glee, American Horror Story, and Pose - the new original comedy series, The Politician.
Ben Platt in The Politician

Check out the latest from producer Ryan Murphy, who gave us Glee, American Horror Story, and Pose – the new original comedy series, The Politician.

Payton Hobart, played by Tony Award winner Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen), is a wealthy student from Santa Barbara, California, who’s known since age seven that he’s going to be the President of the United States.

But before he can get to the White House, he’ll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape of all: Saint Sebastian High School.

The longterm plan is: get elected Student Body President, get into Harvard, and no matter what – keep his eye on that Oval Office prize.

But first, Payton will have to outmaneuver his cold-blooded, cunning classmates without sacrificing his own morality and carefully crafted image.

Even his mother, played by Oscar-winner Gywneth Paltrow, admits to Payton, “Your ambition frightens me.”

The sly, satirical dark comedy offers a rare glimpse into just what it takes to make a politician.

The trailer is a fast-paced affair and includes a same-sex kiss for Platt – so don’t blink.

Bette Midler recently announced on Twitter that she and LGBTQ ally Judith Light have also joined the cast.

It’s worth hitting the play button just to see Jessica Lange wonder why calling a gay man a ‘butt-muncher’ would be a scandal: “It’s what gays do – munch butt and celebrate Halloween…”

The Politician premieres on Netflix September 27.

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Magnum Ice Cream Apologizes For Comparing Eating Ice Cream To Being Imprisoned For Being Gay

(image via Magnum Ice Cream)

After receiving a ton of heat on social media, Magnum Ice Cream has issued an apology for a Spotify ad in the U.K. that compared the ‘guilty pleasure’ of eating ice cream to gay people being imprisoned.

In the spot, a voiceover says, “A hug for my boyfriend—that’s my guilty pleasure. Because in my country, just a simple hug with the man I love could send me to prison for more than 10 years.”

The ad didn’t specify which country by name.

Folks on social media clapped back calling the spot “racist” and “homophobic.”

At the beginning of the backlash, a Magnum spokesperson told Newsweek that the aim of the spot was “to remind people that what is considered a guilty pleasure isn’t always what you would expect.”

A Magnum spokesperson has now issued a statement apologizing for the ad.

“Magnum has a history of championing LGBTQ+ rights and Pride Month is a moment when lots of us celebrate progress,” read the statement. “We’re sorry for any offence caused by the advert, which aimed to bring awareness to the injustices people still face around the world.”

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NYPD Fires Officer For Chokehold Death Of Eric Garner

New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill

From The New York Times:

The New York City police officer whose chokehold was partly blamed for Eric Garner’s death in police custody in 2014 was fired from the Police Department on Monday, ending a bitter, five-year legal battle that had cast a shadow over the nation’s largest police force and the city it protects.

The police commissioner, James P. O’Neill, dismissed the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, just over two weeks after a police administrative judge found him guilty of violating a department ban on chokeholds.

“The unintended consequence of Mr. Garner’s death must have a consequence of its own,” Mr. O’Neill said. “Therefore I agree with the deputy commissioner of trial’s legal findings and recommendations. It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer.”

The leader of the city’s largest police union immediately denounced the decision, saying Mr. O’Neill had bowed to “anti-police extremists” and that Mr. Pantaleo’s dismissal sent a message that the city did not stand behind its officers when they make arrests.

Garner died on July 17, 2014, after Officer Pantaleo tackled him from behind, then, along with other officers, jumped on top of Garner.

Video footage of the arrest showing Garner struggling for breath and repeatedly saying — “I can’t breathe” — quickly went viral and galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement.

Garner was being arrested on charges of selling untaxed, individual cigarettes on a street corner. For that crime, he was choked to death.

After watching the video himself, O’Neill said he came to two conclusions: Garner should not have resisted arrest; and that while Pantaleo began the interaction appropriately, the officer escalated to a prohibited chokehold.

I have this to say: at the time of his death, there were four – FOUR – police officers holding Garner down.

Nine times Garner, who was unarmed, said, “I can’t breathe.”

With three other police officers with him, couldn’t Pantaleo have loosened his (prohibited) chokehold just a bit?

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Trump Lies Again Claiming He Won 2016 Popular Vote

Citing a conservative group known for spreading false conspiracy theories, Donald Trump again claimed his 2016 electoral was "even bigger than thought" as he accused Google of "manipulating" votes in the last presidential election.
Donald Trump

Citing a conservative group known for spreading false conspiracy theories, Donald Trump again claimed his 2016 electoral was “even bigger than thought” as he accused Google of “manipulating” votes in the last presidential election.

“Wow, Report Just Out! Google manipulated from 2.6 million to 16 million votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016 Election!” Trump tweeted. “This was put out by a Clinton supporter, not a Trump Supporter! Google should be sued. My victory was even bigger than thought!”

Trump tagged Judicial Watch, which has a long history of targeting Democrats via unsubstantiated lawsuits.

However, study after study, investigation after investigation, show that no tangible voter fraud has ever been found, let alone millions and millions of manipulated votes.

As has been well-documented, Hillary Clinton lost the electoral college to Trump 304 to 227. But, due to high population blue states like California and New York, he garnered nearly 3 million more votes than Trump.

My question is: if the election was rigged in Hillary’s favor by such powerful interests like Google and Russia (as Trump claims), why isn’t she president?

Even Hillary Clinton clapped back at the nonsense:

This comes in a long string of allegations of election fraud by Trump.

Last week, at a New Hampshire rally, the Donald told his followers that voter fraud was to blame for his losing the Granite State’s four electoral votes in 2016. He told the crowd in Manchester, “It was taken away from us.”

And over the weekend, he insinuated to reporters in New Jersey that undocumented immigrants were to blame saying “many, many people voted that shouldn’t have been voted,” coming back repeatedly to “some people voted many times.”

But Ellen Weintraub, the chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission, quickly dispatched a letter to Trump calling for him “to provide any evidence” that could back up those statements.

“To put it in terms a former casino operator should understand: There comes a time when you need to lay your cards on the table or fold,” wrote Weintraub.

“Facts matter. And people of America need to be able to believe what their leaders tell them,” Weintraub said Monday.

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Colton Haynes Shares On Social Media & Mental Health

Colton Haynes (via Instagram)
Sunday evening, Arrow star Colton Haynes took a different tone on his Instagram account as he addressed how projecting “a curated life” has taken a toll on his mental health.The post, which he labeled ‘Throwback,’ included a collection of selfies from what appear to be past hospital stays. The images are a stark contrast from his Instagram’s usual fare of frolicsome, sunlit beach moments and model-perfect photos. And that would be the point. “I don’t want worrying about if I look hot or not on Instagram to be my legacy,’ penned the 31-year-old. “I don’t want to skirt around the truth to please other people or to gain economic success.” The former Teen Wolf actor shared with his 6.4 million followers that today he feels “immense joy” when someone shares that his “willingness to open up about depression, anxiety, alcoholism, & addiction has helped them in some way.” In March of this year, Haynes openly addressed his struggles with mental health and addiction with Attitude Magazine saying, “In 10 years, there were maybe 25 days I didn’t drink.”

Colton Haynes says worrying whether or not he "looked hot" in Instagram posts was a "complete waste" of time.
(image via Instagram)

He added that he had achieved six months of sobriety at the time. In his recent Instagram post, he admits that while he’s “struggled the past year” with trying to “find his voice,” he regards the journey as “the most beautiful struggle I’ve ever had to go through.” Pointing to his social media accounts, Haynes says he regrets the time he’s spent worrying about “what time to post on social media so I can maximize my likes,” calling those concerns ” a complete waste of why I was put on this earth.” The point of the hospital photos, which he says were taken a year ago, is to “let y’all in on my truth.” Reflecting on what he describes as “dark” times, he offers candidly, “I’m a human being with flaws like you.” He closes the note with a word of encouragement to his fans: “If ur in the middle of the dark times…I promise you it doesn’t have to last forever.” You can read the full Instagram post from Haynes below.

 

Throwback. I don’t want worrying about if I look hot or not on Instagram to be my legacy. I don’t want to skirt around the truth to please other people or to gain economic success. I have far more important things to say than what magazine I just shot for or what tv show I’m a part of (Although I’m very thankful I still get to do what I love). I no longer want to project a curated life. I get immense joy when someone comes up to me & says that my willingness to open up about depression, anxiety, alcoholism, & addiction has helped them in some way. I’ve struggled the past year with trying to find my voice and where I fit in & that has been the most beautiful struggle I’ve ever had to go through. Worrying about what time to post on social media so I can maximize my likes or being mad at myself that I don’t look the same way I did when I was addicted to pills is a complete waste of why I was put on this earth. I’m posting these photos to let y’all in on my truth. I’m so grateful to be where I am now ( a year after these photos were taken) but man these times were dark. I’m a human being with flaws just like you. If ur in the middle of the dark times…I promise you it doesn’t have to last forever. Love y’all ❤️
A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on Aug 18, 2019 at 4:04pm PDT

The practice of chasing ‘Likes’ on Instagram has become an issue of late as Facebook (which owns Instagram) recently announced the platform is currently running a test in seven countries where ‘Likes’ will no longer be visible to followers. Instagram says it wants viewers to “focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”

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Podcast: Chatting With Journalist, Recording Artist & Red Carpet Ninja Corey Andrew

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter'

Join me as I chat with my Instinct Magazine colleague, Corey Andrew. In addition to the terrific writing Corey contributes to Instinct, he also has an international music career as an accomplished singer/songwriter and producer with songs that have been streamed over a million times. Continue reading “Podcast: Chatting With Journalist, Recording Artist & Red Carpet Ninja Corey Andrew”

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

Ignacio Pérez Rey

Checking in with the Hunks of InstaLand.

First up – a rare photo of hunky Ignacio Pérez Rey NOT on a beach (above).

Next, Matthew Camp shows off his buffed up biceps:

Fitness trainer Austin Martin flexed for the camera while zip-lining through the trees in St. Lucia:

Fitness buff and renaissance man Phillip Evelyn II (Modello9) proves not EVERY photo he takes is too serious:

America’s Got Talent alum Brian Justin Crum showed pride in his cactus:

A post shared by BrianJustinCrum (@brianjustincrum) on Aug 15, 2019 at 10:35am PDT

America’s Next Top Model / Dancing with the Stars champ and Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco deadpans that he “loves when the morning birds sing…”

A post shared by Nyle DiMarco (@nyledimarco) on Aug 18, 2019 at 9:21am PDT

‘Beef’-y Joel Buck was on the menu at Fire Island:

A post shared by Joel Buck (@joel_buck) on Aug 7, 2019 at 11:19am PDT

Handsome sax man Dave Koz is jazzed about headlining tonight’s Smooth Summer Jazz concert at the iconic Hollywood Bowl tonight:

Fitness guru Ramses Principe (looking snack AF) is waxing wise today: “Character cannot be develop in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthen, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

And a ‘cute but muddy’ Max Emerson took a break from biking in Inyo National Forest:

A post shared by Max Emerson (@maxisms) on Aug 18, 2019 at 12:38pm PDT

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Out NY Candidate Targeted With Fake Ad & Suggestive Innuendo

Opponents of an openly gay candidate for Town Justice in upstate New York apparently tried to smear him using a suggestive photo from more than a decade ago and included innuendo regarding his work with YMCA youth.
Justin Carroll (image via Facebook)

Opponents of an openly gay candidate for Town Justice in upstate New York apparently tried to smear him with a fake campaign ad using a suggestive photo from more than a decade ago and included innuendo regarding his work with YMCA youth.

Complete with rainbow letters spelling ‘Pride’ at the top of the page, the text of the ad stresses Justin Carroll’s sexuality, his husband, the possibility of being the first LGBTQ Town Justice in his town of Clinton, New York and more, according to Metro Weekly.

“Justin, a bankruptcy lawyer in NYC, recently relocated to Clinton with his husband Adam Lynch,” the flyer reads. “Among his accomplishments, Justin has been recognized as one of the country’s ‘Best LGBT Lawyers under 40.’ He sits on various boards and committees while working with youth at the YMCA.”

(click image to enlarge)

The text also mentions The Victory Fund, which helps openly LGBTQ candidates get elected to public office and has endorsed Carroll’s candidacy. The ad underscores TVF’s endorsement and Carroll’s sexual orientation: “Justin will be the first openly LGBTQ elected official for the Town of Clinton.”

The ad also used a photo of Carroll from 2005 when he was a 24-year-old ‘cover boy’ for Metro Weekly.

Carroll told Metro Weekly he learned of the flyer when it was forwarded to him after it was posted to the Facebook page of the Hudson Valley News.

The news outlet eventually posted a retraction after the editor realized the ad was submitted via a fake email address.

“At first I thought the ad was just kind of laughable how amateurish it was, given the sophisticated nature of my campaign,” Carroll told Metro Weekly. “Second, it was disheartening, to think about that coming from this community where I’ve moved with my husband.”

“We’ve been living here for almost five years. It’s our full-time residence, it’s our only residence,” says Carroll. “We moved up here to raise a family. It reminds us of the places where we grew up, in Connecticut and Oregon. We’ve had the most wonderful interactions with our neighbors over the past five years and are familiar with all the local establishments.”

The 37-year-old also noted that the ad seemed “to weaponize my coming out story and things that I’m proud of, but with these nefarious undertones of ‘these people are invading our town and maybe they shouldn’t be left around children.'”

“That’s a disgusting sentiment, and it has no place in our public discourse,” he says.

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Jeffrey Epstein Purchased Women’s Underwear While In Jail?

The Miami Herald continues its investigative reporting on now-deceased accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Today's odd reveal is that during his leisure lock-up time in jail a decade ago, he purchased two pairs of small women's panties from the jail's store?
Jeffrey Epstein (mug shot)

The Miami Herald continues its investigative reporting on now-deceased accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Today’s odd reveal is that during his leisure lock-up time in jail a decade ago, he purchased two pairs of small women’s panties from the jail’s store?

Umm…

It was just one of thousands of dollars of purchases made by the disgraced financier while in jail after pleading guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for sex, according to a purchase log. (His top purchase was single-serve cups of coffee, of which he bought more than 800 in 13 months.)

But the panties raise questions about why a childless male inmate, accused of sexually abusing girls as young as 14, would be allowed to buy female undergarments so small that they wouldn’t fit an average-sized adult woman.

The panties were certainly too small for Epstein, who also purchased his briefs in men’s medium and sweatshirts ranging from XL to 3XL, and size-12 shoes. So what, or who, were they for, and why wouldn’t the purchase raise eyebrows under the circumstances?

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Seaside Town To Install ‘Anti-Sex’ Public Bathrooms

The town of Porthcawl in Wales plans to spend around $200K (£170,000) to install 'anti-sex' public toilets.
(Credit: Porthcawl Town Council)

The town of Porthcawl in Wales plans to spend around $200K (£170,000) to install ‘anti-sex’ public toilets.

From The Guardian:

Violent movement sensors would automatically open the doors and sound high-pitched alarms, with fine water jets soaking the interior. Weight-sensitive floors would ensure only one user could be in a cubicle at a time, to safeguard against “inappropriate sexual activity and vandalism”.

Porthcawl town council is spending £170,000 on the futuristic toilets in Griffin Park, according to WalesOnline. The planning documents detail a range of security features to deter rough sleeping, including an audible warning, combined with lights and heating being switched off.

All toilets would be fitted with a full high-pressure floor and wall washer which could be operated after every use, or after a certain number of users per day. Each night the toilets would close for 10 minutes while the unit undertakes a deep clean.

As The Guardian notes, some folks wonder what the baseline weight would be before tripping the alarms and water jets…?

(image via Gerald England is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)