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Music Video: JoLivi “Love Who You Wanna Love”

Out pop artist JoLivi drops the music video for her latest single, “Love Who You Wanna Love.”

Featuring members and allies of the LGBTQ community, the video takes viewers on a journey of discovery and realization as she sings, “Be who you wanna be, love who you wanna love, change if you wanna change.”

You can check out my interview with JoLivi from last month by clicking here.

In an interview with ARTISTdirect, JoLivi shared, “I am so unbelievably proud of the message this song and video express.” The native Hawaiian continued, “I truly believe that LOVE is so important to spread. Especially with what we are going through right now with a divide in our societies.”

While JoLivi has always been comfortable in her own skin and a proud supporter of the LGBTQ community, “Love Who You Wanna Love” helped serve as a coming out for her last year as bisexual.

“Love Who You Wanna Love” follows her 2016 EP,  Just For You. 

Check out www.jolivimusic.com for more info.

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GOP House Intelligence Committee Chairman On Trump Wire Tap Allegations: “Clearly The President Was Wrong”

Congressmen Adam Schiff (L) and Devin Nunes (R)

Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told reporters this morning he thinks President Donald Trump was wrong when he accused President Barack Obama of wiretapping him.

Nunes, an 8-term U.S. Congressman from California, also says he doesn’t believe Trump Tower was wiretapped at all.

“I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower,” the 8-term Congressman from California told reporters during a joint press conference with Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA).

“We don’t have any evidence” that President Obama tapped Trump Tower, Nunes said. Going further, he added, “I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.”

“Now you have to decide, as I mentioned to you last week, are you going to take the tweets literally? And if you are, then clearly the president was wrong,” he said.

Note how very uncomfortable Nunes is here. He can’t even look the reporters in the eye.

As the White House staff has begun parsing the president’s accusations, let’s go back and remember just exactly what it is that Trump is alleging:

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Orlando Business Man Starts Scholarship Fund For Gay Students In Honor Of Pulse Nightclub Victims

Orlando business man Barry Miller, working with the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and the Central Florida Foundation, is raising money for college scholarships for gay students.

Called “The 49 Fund” in honor of the 49 people killed in the June 2016 massacre at Pulse Nightclub, Miller’s goal is to offer 10 $4,900 scholarships each year.

To be eligible for consideration, students will need to attend an institution of higher learning full-time, carry a 3.0 GPA and self-identify as “out.”

Pulse survivors, or family members of victims, will be given special consideration.

(source)

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Happy Hump Day!

(photo: Bart Ruzik)

Fitness model Lony Pizarro shows he’s more than a handsome face and hunky body:

“We are so quick to judge others we forget to take in the bigger picture. What you see when you look at others is much deeper then we realize. It’s a product of how they were constructed, the base they were built from, and the hardships they overcame.”

 

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Pro Wrestler Anthony Bowens Comes Out As Bisexual

Professional wrestler Anthony Bowens (L) with boyfriend Michael Pavano

Professional wrestler Anthony Bowens has come out as bisexual, with a little help from his boyfriend, Michael Pavano.

From OutSports.

It was this past fall and I was three months into a relationship with my boyfriend, Michael Pavano. Mike and I had uploaded a video to YouTube on his channel called “The Laughing Challenge,” where he described me as his boyfriend.

The video was a blast to do, but I worried that someone from the wrestling world would stumble across it and learn my secret. I decided to let it be posted anyway.

Weeks later, I received a text that made my stomach drop.

It was from my best friend in the wrestling business, and someone I specifically made sure to keep my secret from. The text read: “Bro, why didn’t you tell me?” I knew exactly what he meant but I played dumb. “What do you mean?” I replied. He response was that he saw “the video.”

Much to my great relief, he told me he didn’t care and that I was one of his best friends in the business.

He also said that some of the other wrestlers had watched it too and tipped him off about it. I was relieved that he was cool with everything but a bit nervous because other wrestlers knew. It was after this that I came to the conclusion that I had a decision to make.

With my closest friend in my profession being cool with my orientation and having the continued love and support from by parents and best friends, I finally felt comfortable letting the world know. On Jan. 8 this year, I sent a message on Facebook:

I’m not going to make this a long winded post but I think it’s time. Just wanted to let everyone know im Bisexual. I look forward to changing perceptions and breaking stereotypes as I continue on my journey. I have zero patience for negativity so if this bothers you please delete me. Thanks!

After hitting send, I immediately turned off my phone. I didn’t want to think about what people would write. After about 30 minutes I told Mike to check his phone. I hadn’t told him I was planning on coming out, so I wanted it to be a surprise.

He had the biggest smile on his face, our friends in the room cheered, and I made the decision to turn on my phone. The response was overwhelming positive — 986 likes and more than 200 comments, all positive; only a very few people unfriended me. I couldn’t help but cry as I let loose all of the years of stress, anxiety and fear of judgment. It was the best decision I had ever made.

As is the case most of the time, coming out has been an uplifting experience for Bowens.

Congrats to Anthony! Check him out with his adorable bf below via Instagram:

A post shared by Anthony Bowens (@bowens_official) on Mar 12, 2017 at 4:35pm PDT

A post shared by Anthony Bowens (@bowens_official) on Sep 15, 2016 at 6:50pm PDT

A post shared by Anthony Bowens (@bowens_official) on May 6, 2016 at 3:32pm PDT

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Rachel Maddow Talks Trump Tax Returns, Trump Pretends No One Has Heard Of Pulitzer Prize Winning Author

Last night, Rachel Maddow almost blew up Twitter with the news that she had in her possession “Donald Trump’s tax returns.”

In truth, it was two pages of Trump’s 2005 tax returns. The pages were sent anonymously to Pulitzer Prize winning, New York Times best selling author David Cay Johnston, who sat down with Maddow to discuss what the return could tell American voters about their new president.

The White House actually put out a statement in advance of Maddow’s show which confirmed the information.

The very short version is that Trump paid $36 million in taxes on $153 million adjusted gross income. So, about 25% tax rate. About what most middle class folks pay percentage-wise.

Reminder – Trump is the first President in four decades to refuse to release his returns, even though he promised on many occasions to do so.

For the full breakdown of the tax returns by Johnston, click here.

Watch below as Maddow and Johnston discuss the documents:

Folks are wondering where the tax return came from, and it’s been considered by a lot of folks that Trump himself, or an aide, sent the pages as a distraction from his current White House woes. As we all know, Trump used to “leak” info on himself to New York City newspapers under an assumed name often back in the 80s and 90s.

This morning, the Donald at least feigned anger tweeting, “Does anybody really believe that a reporter, who nobody ever heard of, “went to his mailbox” and found my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!”

Reminder: Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize winning author with New York Times best-sellers to his credit. A LOT of folks have heard of him.

Johnston replied to the tweet thusly:

Johnston also shared last night that his family was allegedly threatened by Trump supporters:

Now. Can we get back to Trump’s allegations of wire tapping and the American Health Care Act which won’t be passing in it’s present form?

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Texas Senate Moves Anti-Transgender Bill Closer To Final Vote

The Texas legislature is one step closer to passing anti-transgender legislation in the Lone Star state.

From the Texas Tribune:

The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote with one Democrat — state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville — voting in favor of the bill.

Senate Bill 6, a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would require transgender people to use bathrooms in public schools, government buildings and other publicly-owned facilities that match their “biological sex” and not gender identity. And it would preempt local anti-discrimination laws meant to allow transgender residents to use public bathrooms that match their gender identity.

The floor vote came a week after a marathon hearing during which senators heard 13-plus hours of public testimony from hundreds of individuals, largely in opposition, before advancing the legislation to the full Senate.

The upper chamber must still give the legislation a final stamp of approval before sending it on to the House. That vote, known as “third reading,” could come as early as Wednesday.

Assuming the bill passes out of the state Senate, it heads to the House where the future is less clear for the legislation. House Speaker Joe Straus told reporters last week, “I’m not a fan of the bill.”

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Social Experiment: “I’m HIV+”

Even though we are 35+ years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the social stigma attached to the virus continues to leave many paralyzed with fear.

With that in mind, George Hankers, a HIV-positive blogger, stood blindfolded in the middle of Trafalgar Square with a sign asking strangers to leave him a message of positivity on a giant poster board.

The incredible amount of love and support from people who wanted him to know that he is not alone was overwhelming for Hankers.

From Mashable:

Hankers’ blindfold is symbolic of his feelings after he was first diagnosed with HIV. He battled with very low self-esteem and felt he’d “been blinded from hope.” But this social experiment has restored his sense of hope.

“The sense of unity I had after the experiment was very heartwarming — people would touch my hand or reach out and give me a hug,” says Hankers. “It made me want to take off the blindfold and not be sheltered from their generosity. It really goes to show that there is more comfort out there for people living with HIV than we initially think.”

You may recall a similar video experiment a couple years wherein a Finnish man stood next to a sign which read, “I’m HIV-Positive. Touch me.”

Follow Hankers’ blog at StillHumanBlog.com.

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NYPD Cop Who Danced At Pride Passes Away Of 9/11-Related Cancer

(pic via screen capture)

Dammit.

I remember this so well. Great Pride moment.

Look at the spirit NYPD Officer Michael Hance shared with that crowd.

From the New York Daily News:

NYPD Officer Michael Hance, who raised eyebrows and made headlines in 2015 for twerking with a reveler at the city’s Gay Pride parade, has died of 9/11-related cancer. He was 44.

The 17-year veteran of the NYPD, who worked the bucket brigade in the aftermath of the terror attack on the World Trade Center, died Sunday.

“He always liked to help people,” his brother, Peter Hance, 45, told the Daily News. “He always liked to do good.”

Hance, who worked out of the 111th Precinct in Bayside, Queens, was diagnosed with brain cancer in November after he fell in front of his home and complained of feeling dizzy, his brother said. As he fought the disease, the cancer spread to his lungs, liver and chest.

Hance, who wasn’t gay, uplifted the city’s spirits two years ago when a cellphone video of him dancing on duty and in uniform with reveler Aaron Santis at the Manhattan pride parade to the Michael Jackson song “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” went viral.

“I was as impressed as I was happy,” said Brian Downey, the president of the NYPD’s Gay Officer’s Action League said about the video. “He isn’t a member of GOAL or the LGBT community, but we were elated to see that video. It represented the true spirit of the police family. That’s what 99.5% of cops are like.”

Hance’s family was unsurprised that the beloved cop managed to connect with parade-goers. “That’s just who he was,” his brother said. “He was definitely a people person. He has like 8 million friends.”

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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First Look: Bette Midler in HELLO, DOLLY!

Bette Midler as “Dolly Levi” (Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)

First look at Bette Midler’s star turn in the upcoming Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!

The new production, set to open at the Shubert Theater April 20, begins previews tomorrow night. Already box office record have been broken in anticipation of the divine Miss M’s debut as the irascible matchmaker.

From BroadwayWorld.com:

The upcoming revival of Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s masterpiece Hello, Dolly!, starring legendary performer Bette Midler, has quickly become the hottest ticket of the year. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle.

This Hello, Dolly!, the first new production of this classic musical (based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker) to appear on Broadway since it opened more than fifty years ago, will pay tribute to the original work of legendary director/ choreographer Gower Champion, which has been hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.

As regular Randy Report readers may know, I made my Broadway debut in the last revival of Dolly! with original Tony Award winning star Carol Channing in 1995. I staged the national tour of the production after we closed on Broadway, and at least 10 times since then. I’m still in love with the show.

Wishing everyone at the Shubert Theater a wondermous run with the show.