LGBTQ news and entertainment
|
| Casey Lee Ross (via Instagram) |
TimeOut Magazine shares it’s round up of this season’s sexiest dancers on Broadway, including Casey Lee Ross (above) from the new revival of Miss Saigon.
Hit the link for more Broadway sexiness; and check below for more of Mr. Ross via Instagram.
Watch Trump supporters wiggle out of previous statements that they had personally seen “busloads” of people cross the state line from Massachusetts into New Hampshire to illegally vote.
First it’s “millions,” then it’s “busloads and busloads,” then it’s one car with Massachusetts plates and 8 people in it, then it’s “well… um…”
Then goes from “seen it myself” to “saw it on TV.”
This is truly delusional crap.
— andrew kaczynski 🤔 (@KFILE) March 30, 2017
President Trump continued attacking the conservative House Freedom Caucus members today on Twitter, writing, “The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don’t get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!”
The fact of the matter is if Trump alienates both the Dems and the Freedom Caucus, he winds up with a minority in the House:
237 House Republicans minus 30-35 Freedom Caucus members minus all Democrats leaves Trump roughly 200 Republicans to work with, which isn’t enough to get anything done.
It would seem to me that if Trump really wanted some kind of leverage over the Freedom Caucus, he would begin negotiating with, and offering real compromises to, Democrats.
The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don’t get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017
Freedom Caucus members respond:
@realDonaldTrump Freedom Caucus stood with u when others ran. Remember who your real friends are. We’re trying to help u succeed.— Raúl R. Labrador (@Raul_Labrador) March 30, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump it's a swamp not a hot tub. We both came here to drain it. #SwampCare polls 17%. Sad! https://t.co/4kjygV2tdS— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 30, 2017
|
| House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes |
The New York Times is reporting that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes’ source for “evidence” that Trump associates were swept up in intercepted communications with foreign officials came from inside the White House.
A pair of White House officials played a role in providing Representative Devin Nunes of California, a Republican and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, with the intelligence reports that showed that President Trump and his associates were incidentally swept up in foreign surveillance by American spy agencies.
The revelation that White House officials assisted in the disclosure of the intelligence reports — which Mr. Nunes then discussed with President Trump — is likely to fuel criticism that the intelligence chairman has been too eager to do the bidding of the Trump administration while his committee is supposed to be conducting an independent investigation of Russia’s meddling in the last presidential election.
Several current American officials identified the White House officials as Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the senior director for intelligence at the National Security Council, and Michael Ellis, a lawyer who works on national security issues at the White House Counsel’s Office and formerly worked on the staff of the House Intelligence Committee.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment.
Mr. Cohen-Watnick is a former Defense Intelligence Agency official who was originally brought to the White House by Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser. The officials said that this month, shortly after Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter about being wiretapped on the orders of President Barack Obama, Mr. Cohen-Watnick began reviewing highly classified reports detailing the intercepted communications of foreign officials.
Nunes has cancelled all hearings for the House Intelligence Committee without any explanation. He has not shared whatever information he was given by the two White House officials with anyone on his committee.
UPDATE: The legislation passed in the House 70-48. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Whether this actually satisfies the NCAA remains to be seen.
In a race to meet an NCAA deadline for consideration to host championship sporting events through 2022, the North Carolina legislature is ramming through a fake “repeal” of the state’s hateful anti-LGBT law, HB2. The “compromise” was concocted in a middle of the night/backroom deal between Phil Berger, the Senate leader, Tim Moore, the House speaker, and the new Democratic governor, Roy Cooper.
While being touted as a repeal, the new bill – HB142 – bans local municipalities from passing any non-discrimination ordinances through 2020.
Additionally, HB142 bans protections for transgender individuals in restrooms and other single-sex spaces forever.
“This law does not repeal HB2, it doubles down on discrimination,” said Cathryn Oakley HRC Senior Legislative Counsel at a press conference in Raleigh Thursday morning.
“If you vote for this bill you are not a friend of the LGBTQ community,” said Chris Sgro, Equality NC Executive Director.
What is particularly galling is newly installed Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who campaigned on repealing the so-called “Bathroom bill,” is supporting this effort even as he admits it’s not “a perfect deal.”
The new bill passed the state Senate today by a vote of 32 to 16.
The legislation now moves to the state House.
LGBT advocacy groups are rightfully angry.
From Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign:
This “deal” does NOT repeal #HB2. It’s simply another version of HB2 dressed up in a way desperate lawmakers hope will save state’s economy.— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) March 30, 2017
From Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD:
This is bad, doubles down on discrimination and leaves LGBTQ unprotected @RoyCooperNC we will keep the pressure on – this is wrong. Fix this https://t.co/YS2FlcpLei— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) March 30, 2017
From the national office of the ACLU:
The #HB2 “repeal” deal isn’t a repeal at all. It will allow discrimination against LGBT ppl and it shouldn’t pass https://t.co/B5s8LtEX1b— ACLU National (@ACLU) March 30, 2017
Businesses in the state have begun chiming in as well. From Levi Strauss:
We stand w/ @HRC & @EqualityNC in urging North Carolina lawmakers to reject a backroom “deal” on anti-#LGBTQ #HB2. #RepealHB2 #ncpol— Levi Strauss & Co. (@LeviStraussCo) March 30, 2017
This is my favorite thing today.
Lizzy Howell, you better get your dance on! You are giving me life!
Has anyone explained to President Trump that approval ratings aren’t like golf scores?
Lower isn’t better.
In the aftermath of the TrumpCare debacle, the Donald’s approval rating has dropped to a historic low of 35% in the latest Gallup tracking poll, while his disapproval has risen to a new high of 59%.
This week, the owners of the NFL teams voted to allow the Oakland Raiders to move to Nevada becoming the Las Vegas Raiders.
I can’t tell you how excited the city is.
Today, we got this very cool digital rendering of the soon-to-be Las Vegas Stadium from the architects.
Check out the trailer to Something Like Summer, the film adaptation of Jay Bell’s Lambda Literary Award-winning novel of the same title.
Official synopsis:
Benjamin Bentley is the only guy at his Texas high school with the courage to come out of the closet, dooming himself, he believes, to a life of loneliness. Putting up with the bullies and his classmates’ whispered condemnations keeps him from pursuing his dream of being a singer, despite the encouragement of his best friend, Allison. Instead, Ben spends his summer vacation stalking the handsome athlete who just moved to town, Tim Wyman.
Something Like Summer follows the course of true love over the span of a dozen years, from awkward adolescence through challenging adulthood, featuring seven original musical numbers and the artwork of a talented young artist.
The movie features both classic and original songs performed by the stars of the film.
Check the official website for upcoming screenings. Watch the trailer below:
Via Broadway World:
Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” Barbra Streisand’s “People” and the original cast album of Broadway’s THE WIZ are among the 25 titles which will be preserved by the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for 2016.
Each year, the Librarian of Congress selects 25 songs that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and at least 10 years old. This year’s collection spans the years 1888 to 1997, bringing the total number of songs on the Registry’s list to 475.
Upon learning that her song “People”, composed by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill, had been selected, Barbra Streisand commented that the honor was both “humbling and gratifying.” “This is the prestigious treasure house in which American art is archived and acknowledged as part of the flow of our nation’s culture,” she said. “I believe ‘People’ touched our common desire to relate to others with love and caring, and I’ve always tried to express this in my renditions of this magical song.”
The 2016 National Recording Registry titles follow (in chronological order)
1. The 1888 London cylinder recordings of Col. George Gouraud (1888)
2. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (singles), Manhattan Harmony Four (1923); Melba Moore and Friends (1990)
3. “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (single), Harry Richman (1929)
4. “Over the Rainbow” (single), Judy Garland (1939)
5. “I’ll Fly Away” (single), The Chuck Wagon Gang(1948)
6. “Hound Dog” (single), Big Mama Thornton (1953)
7. “Saxophone Colossus,” Sonny Rollins(1956)
8. The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, announced by Vin Scully (September 8, 1957)
9. “Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs,” Marty Robbins(1959)
10. “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery,” Wes Montgomery (1960)
11. “People” (single), Barbra Streisand (1964)
12. “In the Midnight Hour” (single), Wilson Pickett(1965)
13. “Amazing Grace” (single), Judy Collins (1970)
14. “American Pie” (single), Don McLean (1971)
15. “All Things Considered,” first broadcast (May 3, 1971)
16. “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” David Bowie (1972)
17. “The Wiz,” original cast album (1975)
18. “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” Eagles (1976)
19. “Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha,” Gunter Schuller, arr. (1976)
20. “Wanted: Live in Concert,” Richard Pryor (1978)
21. “We Are Family” (single), Sister Sledge (1979)
22. “Remain in Light,” Talking Heads (1980)
23. “Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A. (1988)
24. “Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night Vigil),” Robert Shaw Festival Singers (1990)
25. “Signatures,” Renée Fleming (1997)