“He deliberately spun it, distorted it. I mean this is George Orwell — up is down, black is white, peace is war. That’s exactly what I didn’t say. I took aversion to the word spy, it was the most benign version of information gathering. The important thing is the whole reason the FBI was doing this was concern over what the Russians were doing to infiltrate the campaign, not spying on the campaign.”
Clapper was angry that Trump had twisted what he’d said regarding the FBI investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Clapper has now admitted that there was Spying in my campaign. Large dollars were paid to the Spy, far beyond normal. Starting to look like one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. SPYGATE – a terrible thing!
Talk about changing gears – NBC has announced that instead of the twice-delayed staging of the 1950s musical Bye, Bye, Birdie, it’s next live action musical planned for Spring 2019 will be the free-love, hippie-inspired HAIR .
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HAIR Live! will be executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the same team who brought TV audiences The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz, Hairspray and the recent (fantastic!) Jesus Christ Superstar.
The logline for HAIR Live! reads:
The story of a group of politically active hippies living a bohemian life in New York while fighting against and resisting the Vietnam War. Claude, his good friends Berger and Sheila, and their “tribe” are coming of age in the world of the sexual revolution while struggling with their rebellion against the war and their conservative parents and society. Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done, or succumb to the pressures of conservative America to serve in Vietnam, compromising his principles and beliefs.
Included in that tribe of friends is the openly gay character of “Woof” (how prophetic) who openly pines for Mick Jagger and sings the song, “Sodomy.”
Since its original groundbreaking Broadway run in 1968, HAIR has been revived several times including a recent a star-studded staging at the Hollywood Bowl and the 2009 Broadway revival which won the Tony Award for “Best Revival of a Musical.”
The musical received an acclaimed film adaptation by Milos Forman in 1979 starring John Savage, Beverly D’Angelo and an oh-so-woofy Treat Willams as “Berger.”
The musical addressed issues important to young people at the time – Vietnam War, drugs, race, gender and sexual identity – in a way no one had seen before. And a brief nude scene was considered “revolutionary” in the show’s early incarnations.
For years, the notorious nude scene at the end of the first act has drawn much attention. It’s highly doubtful TV audiences will see much of that in the NBC presentation. And it won’t be the first time the scene will be edited.
Producer Joe Papp cut the nude scene for the original Public Theater production. When the creators took a renewed look at the show in preparation for the move to Broadway, they wanted to put the nudity back in. However, there was a law on the books in New York City that said nudity was permitted on stage as long as the actors weren’t moving. And so, back in the 60’s and 70’s, the entire cast stood on stage together in a row, nude and perfectly still. That’s how the staging of the scene was born.
The show’s political hot-button issues weren’t the only attention grabbers at the time.
The music became a force of nature on the Billboard charts.
The original Broadway cast album (which won the Grammy Award for “Best Score from an Original Cast Show Album”) charted at #1 and spent three months in the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart in 1969 and spun-off 4 hit singles.
The Fifth Dimension’s medley of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” spent 6 weeks as the No. 1 pop hit in 1969 and was the No. 2 single for the entire year (barely losing out the top honors to the Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar.”) Also reaching the Top 5 were Three Dog Night’s “Easy to Be Hard,” The Cowsills’ “Hair,” and Oliver’s “Good Morning Starshire.”
The recent live TV musical presentations have a somewhat hit-or-miss record in terms of success. While The Sound of Music was considered a success all-around, subsequent presentations like Peter Pan and The Wiz seemed to fall flat for this writer.
That trend was reversed with the recent Jesus Christ Superstar which seemed to find the gold with striking staging by five-time Tony Award nominee, British theater director David Leveaux, exceptional choreography by Camille A. Brown and a cast that included Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, John Legend and Alice Cooper.
No air date has been announced as yet for HAIR Live!
While engaged in one of the most competitive primaries of his political career, Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California has informed a key National Realtor group that homeowners should be able to refuse to sell their property to LGBTs.
Rohrabacher told an Orange County Association of Realtors meeting on May 16 in Washington, D.C., “Every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to sell their home to someone (if) they don’t agree with their lifestyle.”
The congressman doubled down on that sentiment telling reporters on Thursday that homeowners should have the right to “choose who they do business with.”
“We’ve drawn a line on racism, but I don’t think we should extend that line,” Rohrabacher said. “A homeowner should not be required to be in business with someone they think is doing something that is immoral.”
Rohrabacher’s comments came during a mid-year lobbying conference in Washington with the real estate professionals who asked him to support H.R. 1447, among other issues.
The legislation would expand the 1968 Fair Housing Act to include anti-discrimination protections based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. The existing law already bans home sellers, landlords and lenders from discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Jeff Berger, a Florida Realtor and founder of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals wrote to the president of the National Association of Realtors asking Rohrbacher’s support be rescinded.
“When a supposed champion of the Realtor Party outright states that housing discrimination should be lawful, I hope you agree there should be cause for concern,” wrote Berger. “Ignoring the congressman’s comments belies the decades of serious work and progress NAR has made in the area of fair housing.”
This one hits home: If Dana Rohrabacher wants to deny same-sex couples a home, we need to kick him out of the House. https://t.co/tm1rchrVrI
Although Rohrabacher had previously been designated as a “Realtor Champion” by the NAR, the trade group has now withdrawn its recommendation that members support Rohrabacher based on his recent statements.
Equality California’s Executive Director Rick Zbur agrees: “Californians decided years ago that we don’t support housing discrimination — not based on race, not based on religion and not based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“And while Dana Rohrabacher may think it’s okay to discriminate against people because of who they are or whom they love, Orange County families don’t.” added Zbur.
Harley Rouda, a Democrat who was recently endorsed by Equality California in the race and is the son of a former Realtor association president, called Rohrabacher’s statements “outlandish and unacceptable,” saying everyone should have the same rights to buy and sell a home.”
In the face of a losing battle Dana has decided to attack those vulnerable among us.
Rohrabacher’s ideas do not reflect who we are as constituents in #CA48
The New York Daily Newsreportsthat a passenger on the Long Island Railroad who was caught on video spewing a racist, profanity-laden rant has been charged with a hate crime and could end up behind bars for the angry tirade.
Queens DA Richard Brown charged Edward Ruggerio, 58, with menacing as a hate crime for his verbal attack on a fellow passenger whome he threatened physical assault. Ruggerio will also face a count of second-degree aggravated harassment — crimes punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine.
Ruggerio claims he was upset that Orelian was talking too loudly with friends. “Shut the f–k up, you f—ing loud-mouthed monkey motherf—er,” he screamed at her. “I can’t listen to your f—ing black ass no more … You f—ing loudmouthed bitch … At least I got a f—ing mother. Do you know who your mother is? You don’t know who your mother or your father is because you’re a f—ing monkey, that’s why.”
Watch the report from the New York City ABC affiliate below.
That’s the highest level of support Gallup has recorded since the polling firm began asking Americans about their views on the issue in 1996.
Back then, a mere 27% of those polled supported gay marriage.
It will come as no surprise that politically speaking there’s a wide chasm between Democrats and Republicans on the subject.
The recent data shows that 83% of those who identify as Democrats said they support legally recognized same-sex marriage; only 44% of Republican respondents say they support marriage equality.
And those all-important Independent voters? A healthy 71% of independents said they were in favor of legally recognised same-sex marriage.
One reason for the increase in support could be from visibility: according to Gallup, one in 10 LGBTQ+ adults were married to a same-sex partner in 2017.
“This means that Americans are more likely to know someone who has married a same-sex partner, and the visibility of these marriages may be playing a role in overturning some folks’ previously held opposition to their legal status,” Gallup said.
Same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states in the U.S. in June of 2015 following the historic Obergefell ruling by the Supreme Court.
The New York Daily News is reporting that disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is expected to surrender to authorities sometime on Friday to face charges related to alleged sexual misconduct in connection to a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and NYPD.
The Academy Award winning producer is facing charges regarding at least one accuser, Lucia Evans, who told authorities that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004, sources said.
Weinstein is expected to be charged with felony sexual assault.
The Daily News reports that due to the nature of the allegations, the statute of limitations does not apply.
In October 2017, following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, Weinstein was fired from his company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
By the end of October, well over 80 women had made allegations against Weinstein. The allegations were the impetus for the “#MeToo” social media campaign.
Since then the launch of the #MeToo campaign, gay men have stepped forward alongside women to share their stories of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
Weinstein has maintained that he is innocent of all alleged wrongdoing.
After interviewing over 12,000 LGBTQ teenagers, the HRC Foundation and the University of Connecticut has released the largest-of-its-kind survey detailing the anxiety and challenges so many of them face going regarding their daily lives at home, at school and in their communities.
With teens ranging in age from 13 to 17, and from all 50 states and Washington D.C., the survey reveals teenagers are not only experiencing stressful levels of apprehension and angst, but only a small minority (26%) feel unsafe in their own school classrooms.
The researchers found that:
• 79% of LGBTQ teenagers surveyed report feeling depressed or down over the past week
• 95% of LGBTQ youth report trouble sleeping at night
• LGBTQ youth of color and transgender teenagers experience unique challenges and elevated stress — only 11% of youth of color surveyed believe their racial or ethnic group is regarded positively in the U.S., and over 50% of trans and gender expansive youth said they can never use school restrooms that align with their gender identity
• More than 70% report feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness in the past week
• A scant 5% say all of their teachers and school staff are supportive of LGBTQ people
• 76% report that they’ve heard family members make negative comments about LGBTQ people
To protest the harmful effects the Trump/Pence administration is having on young LGBTQs, artist Robin Bell and HRC projected a message on the U.S. Department of Education building (above).
The projection read, “Betsy DeVos, How do you sleep at night when only 26% of LGBTQ youth always feels safe in class?”
You can read the full survey from HRC and the University of Connecticut here.
Citing “open hostility” from North Korea, Donald Trump has cancelled his June 12 summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Leaving the possibility open to a future meeting, Trump told the North Korean leader “this missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.”
Trump had high hopes that the meeting would be a huge foreign policy victory for him.
Even as observers noted the status of the summit was tenuous, folks in the U.S. were already celebrating a possible win for Trump.
Commemorative coins featuring Trump and “Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un” were designed in advance of the meeting by the White House Communications Agency.
There’s now a White House Military Office coin for the upcoming Trump Kim Jong Un summit. The North Korean dictator is referred to as “Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.” pic.twitter.com/tFAmE813Y1
North Korean officials were reportedly angered when Vice President Mike Pence said Mr. Kim could meet the same fate as Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, if he did not make a deal with the United States. In 2011, Libyan rebels killed Colonel Qaddafi during the Arab Spring upheavals.
The government of neighboring South Korea was blindsided by Trump’s announcement.
“We are attempting to make sense of what, precisely, President Trump means,” said government spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom.
Here’s the text of Trump’s letter to Kim Jong-Un:
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.
I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.
If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump President of the United States of America
Folks from all parts chimed in:
Diplomacy requires patience and flexibility. Those who practice the craft must understand the difference between rhetoric and facts. They must study their allies and their adversaries. It has never bean the realm for the impulsive, the thin-skinned or the feckless.— Dan Rather (@DanRather) May 24, 2018
South Korean official response: “We are attempting to make sense of what, precisely, President Trump means.”
After a successful reboot of the Queer Eye brand on Netflix earlier this year, we don’t have to wait long for the arrival of Season 2 now scheduled to debut on the streaming service June 15.
The Fab 5 – Bobby Berk (interior design), Kamaro Brown (culture), Tan France (fashion), Antoni Porowski (food/wine), and Jonathan Van Ness (grooming) – will all be back to help America laugh, cry and just plain feel better.
A new cover story for Entertainment Weekly reveals 35-year-old Brit and fashion expert France, a Muslim who currently lives in Salt Lake City with his husband, almost didn’t take the gig. “I hadn’t seen any people like me on TV before, and I definitely didn’t want to be the first one. I didn’t want that responsibility on my head.”
The fears eventually subsided, and, he says, “I couldn’t be more grateful.”
For the first time, season 2 will feature a transgender man on the make-better show.
Van Ness says, “One of my closest friends is a trans man who is incredible. And a lot of my clients are trans women. So I am really hoping that we can do right by our trans brothers and sisters. [Skyler] is going through so much, so [it was important to be] gentle and respectful and not to be a queenie know-it-all dum-dum when you’re trying to be a loving person.”
According to Gallup’s daily tracking poll in 2017 (based on over 340,000 interviews), the percentage of American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) rose to 4.5% in 2017, up from 4.1% in 2016 and 3.5% in 2012 when Gallup began tracking the measure.
The two biggest stats to note are: more people are identifying as LGBT than ever before, and the biggest surge in those who see themselves as LGBT are in the younger age demographics.
The biggest one year jump came in the millennials age group (born between 1980 and 1999) which showed an increase from 7.3% in 2016 to 8.2% in 2017. That’s the largest one-year increase since Gallup began tracking the issue in 2012.
Gen Xers (born 1965 to 1979) bumped up a tad from 3.2% in 2016 to 3.5% in 2017.
There was no change for Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) who maintained a steady 1.4% identifying as LGBT.
And, yes, there is a gender gap. More women (5.1%) see themselves as LGBT compared with only 3.9% of men.
When it comes to race, Hispanics (6.1%) were more than a percentage point more likely to identify as LGBT than other ethnic groups – Black (5.0%), Asian (4.9%) and White (4.0%).
Since Gallup began tracking the issue in 2012, LGBT identification has been and is more common among those with lower incomes. The income gap was even larger in 2017 than it has been in previous years, with 6.2% of those making less than $36,000 a year in household income identifying as LGBT, compared with 3.9% of those making $90,000 or more.
LGBT demographic experts say younger people who are LGBT are feeling more and more comfortable over time with their sexual orientation, and thus are more likely to identify as such.
