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UPS Debuts New Artwork For Pride Month Plus Support For LGBTQ Small Businesses

The new artwork by xxx designed for UPS for Pride Month In celebration of Pride Month, UPS is unveiling a new set of commissioned artwork for UPS Express envelopes. Fernando Volken Togni, a UK-based artist originally from Brazil, was commissioned to design original artwork which will be featured on UPS Express Packaging and is titled “Love Delivered.” Like all creators, illustrator and graphic design artist Fernando Togni had a vision when he sat down in his studio and turned on some music. The process of creating an image to capture the essence of what Pride Month means was important. “When you create something for Pride you always want to be vibrant. I wanted to create this rainbow connecting everything,” Fernando said. “In the end, the main aspect of it was to try and focus on camaraderie, joy and love … a theme that connects everything.” The final product, titled Love Delivered, was completed in just three days.

Artwork by Fernando Volken Togni
Artwork by Fernando Volken Togni
But wait – there’s more! UPS is also collaborating with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce to offer grants to LGBTQ+-owned small businesses. Recent data shows that LGBTQ+-owned businesses are expected to account for $1.7 trillion of the U.S. economy. The National LGBT Chamber helps certified LGBTQ+ businesses move forward toward relationships that help them thrive. The UPS initiative Proudly Unstoppable works to spotlight minority-owned small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), many of which have been hard hit by the pandemic. Ranked by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ+ equality in 2021, UPS remains committed to working to advance equity for all. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqv8oMHevF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Out Music: Eli Lieb ‘Boys Who Like Boys’

Eli Lieb, Hayden Joseph, Kat Cunning, and more in my 'Best Out Music of 2021'

Eli Lieb in his new music video 'Boys Who Like Boys'
Eli Lieb in his new music video ‘Boys Who Like Boys’
Acclaimed out singer/songwriter Eli Lieb drops his awesome new single and music video, “Boys Who Like Boys,” and it’s totally on point not only for Pride Month, but every day. I’m happy to admit that when a new Eli Lieb song drops, I run to hit play. Eli hits it out of the park every. single. time. Eli finds his way to the center of his songs with uncluttered focus and gives voice to what I think of as the ‘every gay’ (as opposed to the ‘everyman’).

So what’s your problem with boys who like boys Maybe we just want a little love Boys who like boys Know one holds you like a big man does Go keep on hating I’ll just keep dancing With boys who like boys Yeah I just want a little love

Not only do his lyrics swagger like a boss, but Eli knows his way around a strong hook and when to drop those stadium drums for maximum effect. Some days, I feel like he’s our Bryan Adams of today. Plus, Eli enlisted the help of choreographer Tyler Malone who passed out the steps to friends and fans of Eli. The result is a rainbow of folks contributing their shade of pride for this anthemic track. It just all works – to great effect. Hit play and enjoy. You can find my previous coverage of Eli’s catalogue here. Celebrate him, his music and Pride.

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPwACVqg2ei/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Sharing some of our favorite Instagram posts this week beginning with woofy Fabrício Ternes (above) who stopped us in our tracks with this subdued pic from Brazil. #ThatSmile The Pit Crew hotties from RuPaul’s Drag Race got ready for some Pride Month action: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPmDK3jpPE2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Joel Green was serving up some ‘power red’ at the beach: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPvtdOOrxCu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Fashion designer Daniel Sheehan has a message for Pride Month: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPpYdyBB-Yl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Houston Scott (clearly) likes chest day: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjYITRrD78/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Former pro rugby player/current CrossFitter Dan Tai is a serious “witness to the fitness.” How about those calves? #dang https://www.instagram.com/p/CPtNmieFNvC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Olympic and world champion diver Tom Daley got thisclose to being porn-adjacent in his photo shoot for Man About Town: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfkNlVnoI1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Luffy found his way to Barcelona (lucky Barcelona…) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPicFKGFIuZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Mr. Gay Vegas (aka J.Son & host of the Temptation Sundays gay pool parties) won an Emmy Award for his reporting in Las Vegas on the BLM movement: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPxPyyWHbC8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Andre Chandler threw down a big boy dance: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPxWnJul91D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Intrepid YouTuber Max Emerson entertained with this visual nugget: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPtJjL_lpO5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Joe Manchin Will Vote No On Voting Rights Bill

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (image via Facebook)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) penned an op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail to inform his constituents he will be voting against the For the People Act which would strengthen voting rights across the country. He adds that he will not support jettisoning the Senate filibuster which calls for 60 votes to close debate on certain bills and move on to a final vote.

Some in my party have argued that now is the time to discard such bipartisan voting reforms and embrace election reforms and policies solely supported by one party. Respectfully, I do not agree.

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

For as long as I have the privilege of being your U.S. senator, I will fight to represent the people of West Virginia, to seek bipartisan compromise no matter how difficult and to develop the political bonds that end divisions and help unite the country we love.

American democracy is something special, it is bigger than one party, or the tweet-filled partisan attack politics of the moment. It is my sincere hope that all of us, especially those who are privileged to serve, remember our responsibility to do more to unite this country before it is too late.

I understand Manchin believing he’s taking a ‘principled’ approach here. But many say Manchin’s stand for “bipartisan compromise” will basically kill most of the policies Joe Biden promised the American people during his campaign – which got him elected.

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Ricky Martin On Acting: ‘I’m Waiting For Those Great Scripts’

Ricky Martin will headline the LA Pride in the Park Festival on June 8

Ricky Martin says he's still waiting for those "great scripts" even though he's got an Emmy nomination in his pocket
Ricky Martin (screen capture via People)
PEOPLE Magazine shares more of their Pride Month cover interview with international pop star Ricky Martin, this time focusing on that ‘other’ part of his career. Some folks forget that after becoming a breakout star of the boy band Menudo, Martin shifted gears with some acting roles. For two years, he was the frequently shirtless bartender Miguel Morez on the iconic soap opera General Hospital in the mid-90s. He also scored on Broadway playing “Marius” in the mega-hit musical Les Miserables and returned to star as “Che” in the 2012 revival of Evita. Martin returned to TV that same year to guest on the then-red-hot GLEE. More from PEOPLE:

His next major acting gig, in 2018, was also a Ryan Murphy production, The Assassination of Gianni Versace. He scored an Emmy nomination for the role — and after the laudation was hoping for more prestige acting offers. He’s still waiting.

“I love acting,” he says. “I’m waiting for those scripts, for those great scripts. I can play gay, I can play straight, I can play a serial killer. I can play Latin, but I can also play European. I am ready. Just give it to me, man. Give it to me.”

A few years ago, Martin was told by a music label executive that he’d be selling more records if he’d never come out.

“That was something that really affected me. And I was like, ‘Am I really dealing with this? They’re not playing my music in this country because I’m gay? Is this really happening?’ We’re talking about four years ago. This executive doesn’t work for the record company anymore. He was fired. But I felt it. It hit me hard.”

“I don’t know if I’m not getting parts because I’m gay,” he admits. “But if that’s the case, it’s really sad. I’m going to keep working until life is different.”

Read more at PEOPLE.com. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPn_7rmNWYj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Delta Passenger Restrained Mid-Flight After Attempting To Enter Cockpit

A Delta Airlines flight was forced to land mid-flight when an unruly passenger reportedly attempted to breach the cockpit

A Delta Airlines flight was forced to land mid-flight when an unruly passenger reportedly attempted to breach the cockpit
(photo: Pexels/Chris Flaten)
A scary situation in the skies on Friday as a Delta Airlines flight was forced to land mid-flight when a passenger apparently attempted to breach the cockpit. Via KRQE:

A Delta Airlines flight on its way from Los Angeles to Nashville was diverted to the Albuquerque International Sunport Friday afternoon due to a passenger disturbance on board. Officials at the Sunport say there was a level four incident on the plane. They say typically means someone tried to break into the cockpit.

Sunport officials say the passenger was not able to actually get in the cockpit and passenger video shows the man being restrained by flight attendants and other passengers. Witnesses onboard say a man was yelling ‘stop the plane’ and went for the cockpit.

The plane reportedly landed without incident. The man’s identity has not been released. Delta then flew the remaining passengers on to Nashville arriving about five hours late. You can see video footage taken during the flight below.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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News Round-Up: June 4, 2021

Silverjow's famous "Hunks of the week" celebrate Pride Month 2021

The oh-so-talented Silverjow celebrates Pride month via his 'hunks of the week'
(image via Instagram/Silverjow)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: From my favorite illustrator on the Gram of Insta, Silverjow (above) offers his ‘hunks of the week’ celebrating Pride Month. Make sure you follow him on Instagram here. • The Hill: Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters today the defense department will continue the existing policy from July of 2020 regarding the display or depiction of unofficial flags. “There won’t be an exception made this month for the Pride flag.” • Kenneth-in-the-212: Click over to Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications like the 14th anniversary issue of Southern California’s RAGE Magazine (below).
(image via Rage Magazine)
• NY1 News: Forging a vaccination card or providing fraudulent proof of immunity could soon be a felony in New York based on a measure approved Thursday by the Democratic-led Assembly. • Right Wing Watch: Far-right wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos says that as soon as he became “ex-gay,” dogs stopped barking at him, which he believes is a sign from God.

• Out Music: Todrick Hall celebrates Pride with the release of his new single – “Boys In The Ocean” – an irresistible funk jam that rides along an infectious bass line and guitar licks, primed for summer escapism. Last year, Billboard wrote of Hall, “He’s part old-school theatre showman, part new-school internet personality, part drag queen… he’s also pushing the boundaries of LGBTQ representation in a business that has historically been unwelcoming to queer people of color.”

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Twitterverse Claps Back As GOP Chair Attempts Pride Tweet

Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
The chairwoman for the GOP, Ronna McDaniel, attempted to send some sort of pro-LGBTQ message for Pride Month. “Happy #PrideMonth!” wrote McDaniel. “@GOP is proud to have doubled our LGBTQ support over the last 4 years, and we will continue to grow our big tent by supporting measures that promote fairness and balance protections for LGBTQ Americans and those with deeply held religious beliefs.” Let’s just say it didn’t go well… Many in the Twitterverse, including Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, chimed in with their thoughts on how ‘big tent’ the Republican party truly is. As Chasten tweeted, “Re-visit your party’s platform before you open your mouth about pride…”

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What To Do When Homeowners Association Says ‘No Pride Flag’

Pride flag flies in the breeze

Pride flag flies in the breeze

While living in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association (HOA) can often ensure your neighbors probably won’t be painting their house Martian green (no offense to Martians), sometimes the rules can inadvertently step on well-meaning toes.

A Redditor recently posted that their HOA had recently revised the rules regarding flags being displayed outside residents’ homes.

“Due to some neighbors flying BLM flags, thin blue line flags, and other opinion flags, our HOA decided last month that we’re only allowed to fly the USA flag, and nothing else,” wrote the poster. “The day after the decision, we received an email that someone reported our Pride flag (that we had on our house since 2016), and that we needed to take it down. We complied and removed the flag.”

But wait – there’s more!

The poster went on to share that they sat down and studied the full set of rules regarding what is and is not allowable in adorning their house. It turns out removable lights are “permitted without restriction.”

So the intrepid Redditor went out and bought several flood lights and bathed the entire home in rainbow pride colors.

Here’s the result:

House lit up in rainbow lights during Pride Month
(image via Imgur)

The post has received over 81,000 upvotes and 6,000+ comments.

Here’s just a few of the supportive comments on the thread:

“It looks far more beautiful than just a flag. Bravo on your fabulous compliance!”

“Call that Home-O-Sexuality”

“This is awesome. F*ck HOAs”

“No Home-of-Phobia allowed”

“Woah. The lighting is much better than a simple flag imo”

Readers – have you ever been told to remove a rainbow flag or other Pride symbols from your home? If so, what did you do?