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Elton John Musical Fantasy Biopic ‘Rocketman’ Premieres At Cannes Film Fest

The upcoming ‘musical fantasy biopic,’ Rocketman, based on the life and career of pop music superstar Elton John, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews this past Thursday.

At the end of the screening, the audience – with John, star Taron Egerton and director Dexter Fletcher — reportedly burst into applause.

Egerton was seen tearing up at the response:

The reviews so far have been strong, especially for Egerton:

“He (Egerton) doesn’t disappear into the role, exactly, but he accomplishes something nearly as remarkable, which is to locate subtle depths of feeling in a character we first see wearing a devil-horned chicken costume.” – Los Angeles Times

“It’s a biopic and a jukebox musical and a romance, and also a movie about addiction, all crammed into a frenetic, jewel-studded ecstasy of a movie.” – Vox

“All white men fortunate enough to commission big-screen versions of their own life stories should be so lucky as to have someone as casually adorable as Egerton play them on screen — not because he’s an especially strong actor but because even with various unflattering wigs and a gap-toothed bridge … Egerton has a hard time looking dumpy.” – Variety

And, of course, there are the inevitable comparisons to last year’s box office smash Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on the life of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury, which many felt was straight-washed in terms of Mercury’s homosexuality.

“If Bohemian Rhapsody were the cheeseburger of music icon biopics, then Rocketman is the sirloin steak – with lobster on the side.” – The Sun

For those who can’t wait until May 31, there are special, limited Early Access screenings beginning today via Fandango.

The producers have also released a new song penned by Elton and partner Bernie Taupin for the end credits titled, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” performed as a duet between John and Egerton.

In addition to creative expression, I’m sure it’s also Elton’s bid for another Oscar for “Best Original Song,” as catalog tunes don’t make the cut at the Academy Awards.

Check it out below.

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Gus Kenworthy “Breaks The Ice” With Adam Rippon

Gus Kenworthy (L) and Adam Rippon (R)

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy guests on out Olympian Adam Rippon’s new YouTube chat series, Break The Ice.

While trying to teach Gus some figure skating basics, Rippon chats with the Kenster as to whether he’s going back to another Games, why he’s biking 500 miles this year, and if American Horror Story is a biopic of his life.

These two have great chemistry. I love the mutual giggle at the :53 mark 🙂

Watch below.

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Politician Runs Campaign Ads On Pornhub “You Have To Be Where The Voters Are”

Joachim B. Olsen of Denmark (images via Facebook)

I think American politics could use a little bit of this politician’s lighthearted sense of humor.

A former Olympic shot-putter-turned-politician in Denmark has placed campaign ads on porn website PornHub in advance of the general election.

Joachim B Olsen, who scored a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, was elected to the Danish parliament at the 2011 election, representing the Liberal Alliance in the Greater Copenhagen constituency.

By the way, did I mention he’s hot???

Olsen in 2012 shortly after being elected to Parliament

With this year’s general elections looming on the horizon (June 5), Olsen made the unusual move of buying campaign ads on Pornhub which read, “When you’re done wanking, vote for Jokke.”

Jokke is the 41-year-old’s nickname.

When a Twitter user argued Olsen was receiving more attention than his opponent, Rasmus Paludan, the founder and leader of the anti-immigrant party Hard Line, Olsen tweeted: “There is no limit to how far I will go for the nation. If it takes an ad on pornhub to keep Rasmus Paludan out of the foreign media, I’ll take one for the team.”

In an interview, Olsen told the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, “You have to be where the voters are.”

He also admitted his campaign is 95% serious, but makes a point to leave room for a little “fun.”

“I hope people get a good laugh,” he said. “I have received a very positive response to it. I don’t know if there are votes in it.”

And yes, he knows the unconventional campaign ad buy might upset some conservative folks.

“I am well aware that some people are outraged,” he offered. “One cannot say anything today without people being outraged. Those who know me as a politician, they know I’m a serious politician. But I also have humour, and I think this is fun.”

Olsen in 2015 during a radio interview

(source)

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FX’s POSE Preps For Season 2: “Joy Is A Choice”

The acclaimed FX series Pose preps for its return on 6/11. Season 2 of Pose flashes forward in time to 1990. On the heels of the ballroom community establishing itself in pop culture and going mainstream, the House of Evangelista is forced to reevaluate their goals. Meanwhile, the AIDS crisis worsens and the reaction from a group of activists reaches a fever pitch. Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles. In this new promo, Billy Porter as 'Pray Tell' extolls the virtues and need for the ballroom scene in 1990: "Joy is a choice. Choosing life in the darkest of times is a choice. That's what the ballroom scene is about."
Billy Porter as ‘Pray Tell’

The acclaimed FX series Pose preps for its return on 6/11.

Season 2 of Pose flashes forward in time to 1990. On the heels of the ballroom community establishing itself in pop culture and going mainstream, the House of Evangelista is forced to reevaluate their goals.

Meanwhile, the AIDS crisis worsens and the reaction from a group of activists reaches a fever pitch. Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles.

In this new promo, Billy Porter as ‘Pray Tell’ extolls the virtues and need for the ballroom scene in 1990:

“Joy is a choice. Choosing life in the darkest of times is a choice. That’s what the ballroom scene is about.”

Watch below.

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Out Music: Heather Strange “Ruthless”

Chris Kittrell as ‘Heather Strange’ (photo: Adrian Stucker)

Chris Kittrell’s new solo project Heather Strange debuts with this first track, “Ruthless.”

Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter & artist Chris Kittrell drops the lead music video for his latest project, Heather Strange.

The track, titled “Ruthless,” is produced by Chris Hines and Dave Sitek (who’s previously worked with Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

Part EDM with hints of classic Human League, if you’re a fan of The Smiths/Morrissey this will be right up your alley. And let’s face it – who doesn’t like some shiny, pretty things to look at?

Kittrell says the inspiration for the song came to him “at a low point in my life.”

“I had insecurities and doubts about where I was going, and the world around me,” he shares. “It was rough, but I kept holding on and pushing myself forward, creating music and art. Perseverance is so important. If you hold on and put energy into the things you love, life will balance out.”

After years as the frontman for Baby Alpaca, Kittrell is looking forward to the new solo project.

“Heather Strange is my stage name, inspired by the street where I first started writing the music in Cold Water Canyon, Los Angeles,” says the six-foot-five artist. “I like the name because it’s something bigger than me, something I can create and become a character in front of my audience.”

Music critics have gushed about Kittrell’s fearless alt-pop aesthetic for years.

Reviewing his 2016 track “Teenage Wasteland,” Vice’s Kim Taylor Bennett described Kittrell’s sound as “slinky, soulful crooner pop,” and the track “sparklingly beautiful.”

Vogue’s Jacob Brown fell in love with Kittrell’s “hypnotic” voice which “somehow made time itself seem to slow down.”

Check out “Ruthless” and let me know what you think in the comment section.

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News Round-Up: May 17, 2019

Ryan Worley (photo: Vinnie Cassidy)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk and Chippendale Ryan Worley (above) shares this with the caption, “When you didn’t know someone was taking your photo…” I’m thinking Mr. Worley should get used to folks taking his pic a lot.

• In an interview with Fox News, Democratic White House hopeful (and openly gay) Mayor Pete Buttigieg references the current president saying, “I’m old enough to remember when Republicans talked a lot about character in the Oval Office.”

• Nevada has become the fourth state to ban the use of so-called gay and trans panic defenses, following California, Rhode Island and Illinois.

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) grilled Daniel O’Day, the CEO of Gilead Sciences, over the high costs of the pharmaceutical company’s pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication Truvada.

As she correctly points out, Gilead is making billions a year from Truvada, but the core research for PrEP was paid for and done by the U.S. government. Watch AOC push for a decent answer:

• Following Alabama lawmakers, the Missouri House of Representatives has passed an anti-abortion bill that bans abortions after eight weeks into a pregnancy, and does not have an exception for victims of rape or incest.

• E! Online reports that Queer Eye co-stars Karamo Brown and Antoni Porowski had “an extreme amount of conflict” during the shooting of Season One of the Bravo series.

• Check out the first look trailer for the upcoming new super-hero series, Batwoman, on the CW this fall on Sundays. Australian actress Ruby Rose stars as the openly lesbian crime fighter.

Almost two millions views on YouTube in a day. But the like/dislike ratio is something to see – 87k thumbs down (homophobes) versus 36k thumbs up.

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Investigation Shows Ohio State Sports Doc Sexually Abused Over 177 Students

A year long investigation has concluded that Dr. Richard H. Strauss, who worked as a team doctor for Ohio State University, sexually abused at least 177 varsity male athletes from at least 16 sports over a nearly twenty year period.
(image via OHU)

A year long investigation has concluded that Dr. Richard H. Strauss, who worked as a team doctor for Ohio State University, sexually abused at least 177 varsity male athletes from at least 16 sports over a nearly twenty year period.

According to a 182-page report issued Friday, Strauss would require the young athletes to strip, would grope them and make inquires of intimate/sexual nature all under the guise of providing medical treatment or examination.

“From roughly 1979 to 1996, male students complained that Strauss routinely performed excessive — and seemingly medically unnecessary — genital exams, regardless of the medical condition the student-patients presented,” read one excerpt from the report via the New York Times.

Over 520 subjects took part in nearly 600 interviews throughout the investigation.

The investigators wrote, “Strauss’ acts of abuse ranged from the overt — such as fondling to the point of erection and ejaculation — to more subtle acts of abuse that were masked with a pretextual medical purpose — for example, requiring a student-patient to strip completely naked to purportedly ‘assess’ an orthopedic condition, or asking probing questions about a student-patient’s sexual practices or performance.”

One of the athletes who spoke to investigators said he once complained of a sore throat to Strauss, which lead to a genital exam.

One former wrestler, Nick Nutter, came forward last year saying the doctor groped him “19 exams out of 20.”

In addition, several former students shared that Strauss was known to shower with students, and hang out in the locker room.

The investigators found that many of the students were under the impression the physician’s behavior was an “open secret” and that coaches, trainers, even other team doctors knew of the sexual improprieties.

Indeed, the report shows that several coaches and players reported incidents involving Strauss over the years, but the complaints never saw Strauss held accountable.

There were so many complaints that an investigation was launched in 1994 by the university’s director of sports medicine, Dr. John Lombardo. He eventually dismissed the allegations calling them “unfounded rumors.”

Lombardo refused to sit for an interview with the investigators.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), now a powerful conservative congressman, was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1987 to 1995. He has maintained he never heard any of the rumors regarding Strauss, even though the investigation by Dr. Lombardo occurred during Jordan’s tenure as an assistant coach.

Jordan told the Washington Post he feels vindicated by the newly-released report saying it found no evidence he knew about the sexual abuses.

Actually, the report doesn’t mention him by name at all.

“I think the report speaks for itself,” said Jordan. “It confirmed everything I have said all along.”

But several former Ohio State wrestlers came forward over the past year insisting the rumors were so widespread Jordan must have heard or knew something about the inappropriate behavior.

In truth, what would a seasoned politician say about such rumors today? Can you imagine Jordan standing up and admitting all these years later, “Yes, I heard about those incidents back in the day, but I chose to do nothing?”

Twenty-two coaches interviewed by investigators said they were aware of rumors or complaints regarding Strauss, reports the Washington Post.

Upon the release of today’s report, Ohio State President Michael Drake issued a statement calling the findings “shocking and painful to comprehend.”

“On behalf of the university, we offer our profound regret and sincere apologies to each person who endured Strauss’s abuse,” Drake continued. “Our institution’s fundamental failure at the time to prevent this abuse was unacceptable — as were the inadequate efforts to thoroughly investigate complaints raised by students and staff members.”

Three groups of victims have filed law suits against the university, and Ohio State is said to be “actively participating in a mediation process.”

While Strauss was still a professor emeritus at the time of his death in 2005, Ohio State told the press today it would begin proceedings to revoke that honor.

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Equality Act Passes In The House By Vote Of 236-173

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, a critically important piece of federal legislation that would, for the first time, explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to existing civil rights laws.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, a critically important piece of federal legislation that would, for the first time, explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to existing civil rights laws.

Today’s vote of 236-173 in the House included 8 Republicans joining 228 Democrats to vote in favor of the legislation.

If signed into law, the Equality Act would update the existing Civil Rights Act of 1964 by ushering in across-the-board protections for Americans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. This includes protections in employment, housing, credit, education, and public accommodations would be guaranteed for LGBTQ Americans under this law.

Currently, LGBTQ Americans receive zero non-discrimination protections in 26 states.

Openly gay Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney had the honor of gaveling in the results of the vote.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke movingly from the floor of the House in support of the legislation:

LGBTQ advocacy groups celebrated the news.

Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD:

“LGBTQ Americans are one step closer to being protected by federal law instead of living in a country where hard-working Americans in a majority of states can be fired from their jobs, denied housing opportunities, and turned away from other critical services – including access to health care – simply for being who they are. Fairness should never be a partisan political issue, and the Senate should pass this bill without delay.”

Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign:

“Today’s historic vote is a major milestone for equality and sends a powerful and profound message to LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ youth, that the U.S. House has their backs. No one’s rights should depend on which side of a state or city line they live on, and today we took a giant step forward in our journey toward full equality. This historic victory would not have been possible without the millions of LGBTQ people and our allies who organized, mobilized and turned out to elect a pro-equality majority in 2018. Now, we will take our fight to the U.S. Senate and turn up the pressure on Leader McConnell to allow a vote on this crucial legislation. And we won’t slow down in working to turn out the 10 million eligible LGBTQ voters and our millions more allies to elect a pro-equality president in 2020 who will sign the Equality Act into law.”

Brian K. Bond, Executive Director of PFLAG National:

“PFLAGers across the country thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) for their leadership in introducing the Equality Act, and the many Representatives from across the country who today cast their historic votes in favor of equality, fairness, and safety. PFLAG families want for their LGBTQ+ loved ones the same things that all families want: job security, a home, a family, and unfettered access to healthcare and other crucial services. PFLAG families have been fighting for over four decades for these protections and equal rights as promised by the U.S. Constitution, and now they are ever closer to achieving that promise.”

Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy & Government Affairs, The Trevor Project:

“LGBTQ youth deserve every equal right and protection as their peers, no matter where in this great nation they live. Today’s passage of the Equality Act is a monumental step toward bringing about those equal rights and protections. As we look toward the Senate and the eventual passage of landmark pieces of legislation like this, LGBTQ youth should know that the fight for their equality is moving swiftly forward toward a world where they will be free to be themselves.”

The House vote on The Equality Act comes at a time when the most anti-LGBTQ administration in recent memory has attacked LGBTQ people at every turn.

As historic as the moment is today, reality will – sadly – come crashing down as its certain Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) will not let the legislation come to a vote in the US Senate.

Even the Equality Act were to get a vote and pass in the upper chamber, Donald Trump would veto the bill. A senior White House official recently told the Washington Blade that Trump opposes the bill. And his base of far-right evangelicals would scream bloody murder if he signed it into law.

Since taking office in January 2017, the Trump/Pence administration has unleashed more than 106 attacks against LGBTQ Americans in policy and rhetoric. A comprehensive list of those attacks can be found on GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project (TAP) by going to www.glaad.org/trump.

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Today’s Trump Twitter Rant: Treasonous FBI & ‘Why Didn’t Anyone Warn Me About Michael Flynn?’

Wrapping up a busy week on Twitter, Donald Trump used his Friday morning rant to again pretend that the FBI "broke the law" by investigating possible collusion between his presidential campaign and Russian operatives.
Donald Trump

Wrapping up a busy week on Twitter, Donald Trump used his Friday morning rant to again pretend that the FBI “broke the law” by investigating possible collusion between his presidential campaign and Russian operatives.

Clearly watching Fox News, he quoted a Fox New poll (ha!): “New Fox Poll: 58% of people say that the FBI broke the law in investigating Donald J. Trump.”

And then, for good measure, tried to pretend that he was never warned about Michael Flynn.

From NBC News in May 2017:

Former President Obama warned President Donald Trump against hiring Mike Flynn as his national security adviser, three former Obama administration officials tell NBC News.

The warning, which has not been previously reported, came less than 48 hours after the November election when the two sat down for a 90-minute conversation in the Oval Office.

A senior Trump administration official acknowledged Monday that Obama raised the issue of Flynn, saying the former president made clear he was “not a fan of Michael Flynn.”

According to all three former officials, Obama warned Trump against hiring Flynn. The Obama administration fired Flynn in 2014 from his position as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, largely because of mismanagement and temperament issues.

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Internet Sensation ‘Grumpy Cat’ Passes Away At 7

Internet sensation 'Grumpy Cat' has passed away at the age of 7.

Internet sensation ‘Grumpy Cat’ has passed away at the age of 7.

She died of complications from a urinary tract infection, according to her owners.

From USA Today:

Grumpy Cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, became an internet sensation after a photo of her trademark frowning face went viral on Reddit in 2012.

Since then, she became the subject of countless memes, a Honey Nut Cheerios commercial, book deals and even a Lifetime movie.