Posts

Posted on

SNL Cold Open Offers “A Wonderful Life” Where Trump Was Never President

SNL’s holiday show cold open threw a new spin on the Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, where Donald Trump wishes for a world where he was not elected president.

The skit features celebrity cameos by Ben Stiller (Michael Cohen), Robert De Niro (Robert Mueller), and host Matt Damon (Brett Kavanaugh).

Entering a holiday party, Trump looks around the room noting the mood of the party goers: “Everyone looks so different. What are those things on their faces?”

Kenan Thompson’s ‘Clarence the Guardian Angel’ replies, “Those are called smiles.”

When Trump asks if ‘they ever found’ Hillary Clinton’s emails, Clarence shares, “They did – they were all Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons.”

In this new world, Mike Pence is a gay DJ (“It’s so great to be myself”).

And Melania Trump, no longer married to the Donald, doesn’t have an accent anymore. “After our divorce, I lost it. They said being around you was hurting my language skills.”

The sketch appears to have triggered the Trumpster:

Posted on

Trump Rants About Cohen Becoming A ‘Rat,’ Wonders Why Folks Didn’t “Break Into The DNC?”

Donald Trump went on one of his usual Sunday morning Twitter rants raging about his former ‘fixer,’ Michael Cohen, becoming a “Rat” after the FBI “BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE!”

Of course, the FBI didn’t ‘break’ into Cohen’s office. A federal judge authorized a legal search warrant after finding that there was a good reason to believe evidence of a crime would be found in his office.

p.s. They did find that evidence. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison this week.

The president of the United States just wondered in front of millions of Twitter users why someone didn’t break into the Democratic National Committee offices.

Doesn’t that sound familiar? I’m thinking circa 1972 and a certain Richard Nixon…?

History truly repeats itself.

By the way, Cohen tweeted that the FBI was “extremely professional, courteous and respectful” during the search.

It’s worth noting that Ken Starr has absolutely NO idea what Special Counsel Robert Mueller has found during his investigation.

Also – the Ken Starr/White Water investigation went on for four years. Mueller was appointed to head up the current investigation in May 2017 meaning he’s spent less than half the time Starr took to look into White Water.

Similarly, Starr expanded his investigation far afield from his original mandate. So arguments that Mueller should ‘ignore’ crimes not related to Russia along the way are ridiculous.

When the police investigate a robbery and trip over a dead body, they don’t ignore the body.

Posted on

Trump Administration Asks SCOTUS To Allow Trans Military Ban Before Review

The Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service members to go into effect while waiting on SCOTUS to decide whether or not to even take the case up for review.

The Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service members to go into effect while waiting on SCOTUS to decide whether or not to even take the case up for review.

Apparently, the United States is in a state of emergency regarding the few thousand transgender people currently serving with honor in the U.S. military.

I know – it doesn’t make any sense.

Let’s go back a bit, shall we?

In July of 2017, President Trump surprised American military leaders and the world when he announced his plan to ban trans military service members after “consultation with my Generals and military experts” due to the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” of transgender service members.

Remember, this is the guy who told Americans during the 2016 presidential campaign that he would ‘fight’ for the LGBTQ community.

Riiiiight.

Conservatives loved the idea; Liberals and LGBTQ activists were outraged.

In the ensuing months, numerous injunctions were ordered by judges blocking the implementation of the policy, and for good reason.

Not only has The American Medical Association (AMA) issued a statement saying there is ‘no medically valid reason’ for banning transgender people from serving in the United States military, but all four service chiefs (Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force) have testified they’ve seen no negative effects from transgender military personnel serving the country they love.

According to a 2016 RAND Corporation study, there are an estimated 1,320 to 6,630 transgender individuals out of the 1.3 million service members on active duty.

That same study estimated the cost of health care coverage for transgender personnel could range from $2.4 million and $8.4 million a year, which is about one-fifth of what

So, we can afford dick pills, but not trained trans soldiers…?

Then, earlier this month, Department of Justice Attorney Brinton Lucas told the D.C. Circuit Court that if the Trump policy were to be implemented, transgender troops would not be “discharged on the basis of their transgender status.”

(Wait for it…)

But, they would have to identify as the biological sex assigned to them at birth meaning they would have to stop any transition-related medical treatment – treatment that every major medical association has deemed necessary and life-saving for trans people.

Then, over Thanksgiving weekend, the Trump administration bypassed the appeals court process and requested the Supreme Court review the case before the circuit level courts even issue their opinions.

This isn’t a very popular approach as SCOTUS doesn’t like to review a case before it has made its way through the lower courts.

The high court likes to have cases work their way through traditional channels so they have the benefit of the opinions of lower court judges by the time cases reaches SCOTUS.

This week, the Trump administration filed emergency briefs asking the high court to allow the transgender ban to go into effect until SCOTUS can review the case in 2019.

According to Think Progress, the emergency briefs claimed waiting any longer to boot transgender military service members poses “too great a risk to military effectiveness and lethality” and it would be “contrary to the Nation’s interests.”

But such arguments have gained little traction in the past.

For example, U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal ruled in September that “loss of unit cohesion” was the same argument used to keep Black people, women, and gay people from joining the military.

“The military has repeatedly proven its capacity to adapt and grow stronger specifically by the inclusion of these individuals,” wrote Bernal as he dismissed claims that including trans people would generate any different outcome.

It’s worth noting that the emergency briefs filed this week object to numerous motions for discovery filed in the cases. It seems the Trump administration wants to claim that all documentation related to how the ban was developed would fall under executive privilege.

What they really mean is that if those documents came to light, the American public might discover that Vice President Pence (a known homophobe) and his virulently anti-LGBTQ friends were instrumental in pushing the new ban through.

Should the Supreme Court allow the policy to be implemented before the case reaches SCOTUS, thousands of transgender soldiers could be discharged for being who they are.

This short video from the New York Times introduces just a few of the trans soldiers who are at risk of being discharged.

Posted on

Trailer For Upcoming Biopic ‘MAPPLETHORPE’

Official poster for MAPPLETHORPE

“In church I found God, and then Polaroid led me straight to the devil.”

A rather apt statement from Matt Smith’s “Robert Mapplethorpe” in the trailer for the upcoming biopic, MAPPLETHORPE.

Smith (The Crown, Doctor Who) stars as the controversial and provocative photographer of the 1970s and 1980s who became a flashpoint for political conversations about art versus pornography.

The influential artist, who died in 1989 due to AIDS-related causes, scandalized the art world with his images S&M scenes and the naked male body.

From the trailer description:

Robert Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith) is arguably one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Mapplethorpe discovered himself both sexually and artistically in New York City throughout the 70’s and 80’s. The film explores Mapplethorpe’s life from moments before he and Patti Smith moved into the famed Chelsea hotel, home to a world of bohemian chic. Here he begins photographing its inhabitants and his new found circle of friends including artists and musicians, socialites, film stars, and members of the S&M underground.

Mapplethorpe’s work explored eroticism in a manner that shocked and challenged the public’s views on the boundaries of art. The film explores the intersection of his art and his sexuality along with his struggle for mainstream recognition.

“Like any artist in many senses he was vilified at the time,” Smith told EW. “But that’s because he was pushing the boundaries and the form and the envelope of that he was doing and the time he was in, and often the purpose of art is to do that.”

Mapplethorpe was also responsible, in part, in reigniting interest in photography as a mainstream, evocative art form.

“I’m an artist,” says Smith’s Mapplethorpe. “I would have been a painter, but the camera was invented.”

Matt Smith as “Robert Mapplethorpe”

In that Mapplethorpe died of AIDS, Smith also explored the impact of the disease that nearly wiped out a generation of gay men. He told EW:

Just investigating that moment in time, it certainly made me reflect on being a homosexual in the ’70s in New York and the way they were treated for a disease that was completely misunderstood. You think with what we know now about HIV and AIDS, you think if only we could have imparted a bit of the medicinal knowledge and the cultural understanding of that thing. It was appalling really what happened to gay men then, and the way they were treated, and what they had to go through.

It’s amazing how far we’ve come in being able to treat that particular disease. It absolutely made me think about that. He died so young and if he were around now, then he’d live out the whole of his life and still be a brilliant, prolific artist I’m sure. Because he was prolific. He just worked and worked and worked.

Directed by Ondi Timoner, the movie premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival and the critics raved.

“A phenomenal performance from lead Matt Smith,” wrote Lena Smith for Slate. “Audiences will feel unable to tear themselves away.”

The Hollywood Reporter also gushed about the film’s lead: “A superb performance from Matt Smith.”

“The film is afraid of neither the life nor the work of the notorious photographer” wrote Dan Callahan of The Wrap.

The film also stars Marianne Rendón, Mark Moses, Carolyn McCormick, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Sklenar, McKinley Belcher III, and Kerry Butler.

A favorite on the film festival circuit, the movie garnered several awards including:

• Winner of the Audience Award (Feature Film) at the Auction Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival

• Winner of the Audience Award (Best LGBTQ Film) at the Key West Film Festival

• Winner of the Audience Award (Narrative Film) at the Long Beach Film Festival

• Winner of the Audience Award (Best Feature Film) at the Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival

MAPPLETHORPE lands in theaters March 1, 2019. Watch the trailer below.

Posted on

Homophobic NYC Subway Attacker Arrested For Harassment & Assault As A Hate Crime

Allah Allasheed

Earlier this week, I reported on the violent homophobic attack on a New York subway train that left a young woman with a fractured spine.

According to The New York Daily News, the alleged perpetrator has been apprehended and charged with aggravated harassment and assault as a hate crime.

Allah Allasheed, 54, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The assault occurred on November 20 aboard an E train in Queens.

The victim, a 20-year-old college student, tells the Daily News her friend “gave me a kiss on the cheek while she was making a Snapchat.”

That somehow triggered Allasheed, who flew into a rage, as he started screaming at the two young women.

“Don’t do that gay shit in front of me!,” he yelled as he threatened the victims. “Do that one more time and watch what happens!”

The two students say they stood up to put some distance between themselves and the man, and that’s when he jumped up and ran towards them.

“I knew he was going to hit me,” the victim told The Daily News. “He punched me in the back. I turned around and before I could even defend myself …. he threw me back. My head hit the pole and my back hit the ground.”

Allasheed apparently managed to escape when the train stopped at the next stop.

Hospitalized with a C7 vertebrae fracture near the base of her neck, the victim also suffered torn elbow ligaments trying to catch herself as she fell.

Treated at Elmhurst Hospital, she returned to school for end of semester exams. Nearly a month after the violent assault, she still wears a neck brace.

Allasheed was captured by the New York Police Department Hate Crime Task Force. According to reports, he confessed to the attack and the use of hate speech.

“I stood up and told her kiss her again you dyke and watch what happens,” he allegedly told authorities, according to the Daily News. “I pushed the girl, she turned around and then she fell.”

The victim told the Daily News she is, of course, relieved the assailant has been arrested and charged. She also doesn’t want the incident to change her.

“Bad things happen, but good things happen all the time,” she said. “Hopefully I can move on from it.”

Posted on

First Teaser For Upcoming ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie

First teaser released for upcoming film version of Downton Abbey which hits theaters on Sept. 20, 2019.

Executive producer Gareth Neame tells EW about the upcoming cinematic event that will be Downton Abbey:

“We had to do everything that all the fans wanted, but we had to do something that was fresh and original. We wanted a kind of storyline and sense of scale and production value that exceeded even the very high production values the TV show was remembered for.

“On the big screen, it just had to look a little bit more lavish and a little bit bigger and better.

“It’s a return to these really beloved characters and seeing them in new sets of circumstances and how they will deal with those, and hopefully, a good mix of the drama, comedy, and romance that had been the mainstays of it all.”

Squeee!!! We love Downton Abbey here at my house!!!

Downton Abbey will hit theaters on Sept. 20, 2019.

Watch the teaser below.

Posted on

Out Music: NIKO Drops Modern, Sexy “Light My Fire”

Out singer/songwriter NIKO shares his latest single, an intriguing take on the iconic “Light My Fire.”
NIKO drops new take on the classic hit, “Light My Fire)

Out singer/songwriter NIKO shares his latest single, an intriguing take on the iconic hit, “Light My Fire.” Originally released by The Doors in 1967, José Feliciano found his own groove with the tune in 1968. “‘Light My Fire‘ is one of my all-time favorite songs,” says NIKO about the classic song. “I wanted to reinterpret it in a modern way, but still be true to the romantic essence of the song, that talks about a deep connection between two people.” Melding a synth-pop sensibility with rich acoustic elements, NIKO brings his muscular vocal powers to bear as the track builds to climax. Billboard Pride contributor Jon ALi raves about the track comparing NIKO’s vocals (“a romantic and sensual vocal delivery”) to a young George Michael. I last featured the Milan-born artist back in October when he released “The One,” which also explored the intensity and exhilaration of sexual attraction. Fusing a European sensibility with a contemporary sound, the handsome Italian brings a sensual touch to pop music as he delves into both universal and personal themes. Based in New York City, NIKO is prepping for the release of his debut EP in 2019. Hit play below or check him out on Spotify here.

Posted on

John McCain’s Replacement, Jon Kyl, Announces Retirement As Of December 31

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona (image via Gage Skidmore/WikiMedia)

And speaking of Republicans in the U.S. Senate, according to The Arizona Republic Arizona, place-holder Sen. Jon Kyl has announced he will resign from the U.S. Senate on Dec. 31.

Kyl was tapped to come out of retirement after the passing of John McCain earlier this year.

This will give Gov. Doug Ducey the chance to handpick another replacement to the seat once occupied by McCain.

Odds are Ducey will appoint outgoing GOP Rep. Martha McSally, who lost to Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema last month for Arizona’s other U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake.

Sinema will be sworn into office Jan. 3.

Appointing McSally now would give her a leg up on the next election cycle as the incumbent.

Posted on

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch Calls For Unity Among Conservatives & LGBTQs On His Way Out The Door

Retiring GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah

The Republican Party has never been a great friend to the LGBTQ community.

Too many conservative, Evangelical votes to court made us less than a priority in their eyes.

But as Congress prepares to recess for the holiday, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, in his farewell address on the floor of the Senate, surprised many by telling his colleagues they should “protect LGBTQ individuals from invidious discrimination.”

Here’s just part of what the conservative Christian and Mormon said on Wednesday via the Washington Post:

“Nowhere is the pluralist approach more needed than in the fraught relationship between religious liberty and LGBTQ rights. . . . Religious liberty is a fundamental freedom. It deserve the very highest protection our country can provide. At the same time, it’s also important to account of other interests as well — especially those of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Pluralism shows us a better way. It shows us that protecting religious liberty and preserving the rights of LGBTQ individuals are not mutually exclusive. I believe we can find substantial common ground on these issues that will enable us to both safeguard the ability of religious individuals to live their faith and protect LGBTQ individuals from invidious discrimination.”

Referencing the passage of the “Utah Compromise,” an anti-discrimination law that passed with bipartisan support in Utah in 2015, the 81-year-old shared how the legislation strengthened religious freedom and protected LGBT Americans from discrimination.

Hatch said that passing similar legislation on a federal level could be a unifying piece of legislation that honors the diversity of Americans.

While it’s nice that Sen. Hatch raises his voice in support for LGBTQ inclusion as he walks out the door, pardon me if I find it a bit of “too little, too late.”

As The Washington Post points out, no group is less supportive of same-sex marriage and the advancement of LGBT rights than white evangelicals.

And the Republican Party has been home to white evangelicals since the election of President Ronald Reagan.

And, it was white evangelicals, white Catholics and white Protestant Christians who flocked to Donald Trump in 2016. The same Donald Trump who hasn’t paused in his attacks on our community since taking office.

And then there’s Hatch’s own record on LGBTQ issues:

• Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage

• Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage

• Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes

• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation

So, while I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Hatch, thanks for not a lot.

Posted on

Legendary, Gifted Nancy Wilson Passes Away At 81

Nancy Wilson (image via WikiMedia)

My heart is heavy upon hearing the news that the awesome, legendary and gifted Nancy Wilson has passed at the age of 81.

Jazz ballads, standards, torch songs, show tunes, pop songs – there was nothing she couldn’t sing. I should rephrase that, there was no style of music she couldn’t bring to life in her own special way.

In interviews over the years, she shared that she began singing at the age of 3 or 4.

“I have always just sung. I have never questioned what it is. I thank God for it and I just do it,” she told NPR’s Piano Jazz in 1994.

In addition to her decades of sterling musical performances and recordings, she had an enviable TV career – her NBC variety show, The Nancy Wilson Show, which garnered her an Emmy Award; appearing as a frequent guest herself on countless variety shows hosted by Andy Williams, Carol Burnett and more; and acting roles on hit TV shows like Hawaii 5-O, The Cosby Show, The FBI and more.

And then, of course, she touches my heart with the moral courage she showed during the 1960s. Among many events, she took part in the 1965 march on Selma, Alabama.

In 1998, she rightfully was honored with the NAACP Image Award for raising her voice during the civil rights movement.

NPR notes that she addressed the idea of retiring at a 2007 gala in her honor at Carnegie Hall.

“After 55 years of doing what I do professionally, I have a right to ask how long?,” she told the audience.

“I’m trying to retire, people,” she said with a laugh before leaving the stage to a standing ovation.

I won’t be morose, folks. I’ve loved her music and grace, and will continue to do so. My house will be filled with Miss Nancy today.

Here’s just a few of what’s on repeat in my office right now. I really encourage to take a listen to the incredible range and variety of her musical gifts.

RIP Nancy Wilson.