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LGBTQ Critics Honor The Best In 2020 Cinema

Don't miss the Dorian Film Toast 2021 this Sunday, April 19 at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Don't miss the Dorian Film Toast 2021 this Sunday, April 19 at 8pm ET/5pm PT The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has its Golden Globe Awards, the Screen Actors Guild has the SAG Awards, but now its time to find out what the queer entertainment critics thought represented the best in cinema this past year. GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics will present its first-ever Dorians Film Toast 2021 awards special Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the free LGBTQ+ streaming service Revry at revry.tv. Hosted by gay entertainment and broadcasting veteran Karel, the Dorians Toast offers a queer-centric twist on the standard awards show combining tributes, interview segments, music, and comedy. Plus, members of GALECA take part in lively round-table discussions on nominees in several categories. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNqe76cpLVx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Those categories include Best Film, Best LGBTQ film, Best Documentary, Best LGBTQ Documentary, Best Unsung Film, Campiest Flick, ‘We’re Just Wilde About You!’ Rising Star Award, Wilde Artist Award (To a Truly Groundbreaking Force in Entertainment), as well as honors for best actor and actress in leading and featured roles. Best Film nominees this year include First Cow, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, and Sound of Metal. Among those nominated for Best Director are rising Hollywood firebrand Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman and actress Regina King for her feature film directorial debut in One Night in Miami. Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan (“Will & Grace”) will receive the Society’s Timeless Star career achievement honor, and transgender writer-director-actress Isabel Sandoval accepts the inaugural GALECA Trailblazer Award. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNqkbfapy2C/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link For a full list of nominees, click here. Presenters for the virtual event include director Lee Daniels (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Cheyenne Jackson (Call Me Kat), Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious, Antebellum), Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight, Concrete Cowboy), Rafael Silva (Fluidity, 9-1-1 Lone Star), Harmony Valle-Ramirez (Room To Grow), comedian Margaret Cho, the legendary Charo, and more. Dorians Film Toast 2021 is coproduced by Brandon Riley Miller (Life in Segments, High) and John Griffiths for GALECA. In order to be eligible for the Dorians Film Toast 2021, films were required to have a theatrical or digital theatrical release from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021. Don’t miss this year’s Dorians Film Toast 2021 on Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the free LGBTQ+ streaming service Revry at revry.tv. Founded in 2009, GALECA (formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) boasts a membership of nearly 290 professional LGBTQ journalists covering film and television. GALECA hosts two Dorian Awards events during the year – one honoring the best in film and another acknowledging the finest in TV – from mainstream to LGBTQ fare. Last September, the organization celebrated their Dorians TV Toast 2020 with appearances by Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Hugh Jackman, Shangela, Thomas Roberts, Bruce Vilanch and many more. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFIrYsUpbBl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Note: I’m a proud voting member of GALECA.

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QAnon House Members Vote Against Marrow Donor Program

QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)

QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) voted against reauthorizing the National Marrow Donor Program
QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
In a vote reauthorizing the National Marrow Donor Program, only two members of the House voted against the measure: Republican Reps. Majorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. The program provides life-saving services like marrow donations and blood transplants. From Newsweek:

The TRANSPLANT Act passed the lower chamber in a resounding 415-2 vote on Thursday night. A further 12 lawmakers did not vote on the bill—including another freshman Republican, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina.

Under the bill, the National Marrow Donor Program would be reauthorized for a further five years. The program keeps an inventory of cord blood and a database of bone marrow donors for matches with patients diagnosed with leukemia and other fatal blood diseases.

In a statement, Rep. Greene’s spokesman Nick Dyer said: “Nothing in this bill prevents the funding of aborted fetal tissue by taxpayers. It opens the door for the NIH to use this bill to research the remains of babies who were murdered in the womb.”

Since arriving in Congress in January, both Greene and Boebert have made names for themselves as wacky QAnon believers. Greene’s antics became so problematic for Republicans, she was removed from all of her committee assignments. Folks on Twitter found it outrageous anyone could oppose a marrow donor program.

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Data Breach Shows Police Donated To Kyle Rittenhouse

Data breach shows police officers making donations to accused vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse
Kyle Rittenhouse (image via Twitter)
A recent data breach at the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo reveals several police officers and other public officials have opened their wallets for accused vigilantes accused of shooting Black Americans like Kyle Rittenhouse. The Guardian reports the transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets shared the data breach listing donations which showed some were made using official email accounts.

The beneficiaries of donations from public officials include Kyle Rittenhouse, who stands accused of murdering two leftwing protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last August. Rittenhouse traveled from neighboring Illinois to, by his own account, offer armed protection to businesses during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Rittenhouse, who became a cause célèbre across conservative media throughout late 2020, and was even supported by then president Donald Trump, held a fundraiser on GiveSendGo billed as a contribution to his legal defense. According to data from the site, he raised $586,940 between 27 August last year and 7 January .

One donation for $25, made on 3 September last year, was made anonymously, but associated with the official email address for Sgt William Kelly, who currently serves as the executive officer of internal affairs in the Norfolk police department in Virginia.

Kelly’s donation reportedly included a message to Rittenhouse: “God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong. Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.” It won’t surprise you to know that ‘Sgt. William Kelly’ was trending on Twitter this morning. In addition to his status as a police officer, folks noted that he’s the guy who is supposed to oversee internal affairs for his department.

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News Round-Up: April 15, 2021

Nick Vallejo

Nick Vallejo
Nick Vallejo (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Outsports: A gay surfer started an OnlyFans page to feel sexy, and apparently it’s working. Nick Vallejo (above) finds inner-peace in the ocean and confidence in front of the camera. • Pink News: Arizona Republicans have passed an anti-LGBT+ bill that would allow parents to stop their kids from learning about queer people. The bill would also prohibit schools from providing sex-ed classes which include information about AIDS and HIV without parent’s permission. • Instagram: Ivanka Trump celebrated getting her coronavirus vaccine shot on social media, and Republicans lost their minds leaving ugly comments. I’m still surprised they oppose the vaccines so much considering their lord and savior the Donald says he created them with his own two, itty-bitty hands. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNqQe5QBVES/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • New York Times: While it is rare for the police to mistake their sidearms for their stun guns, it is even rarer for charges to be brought against them in such cases. A Times review of 15 other cases of so-called weapon confusion showed that only five of the officers were indicted. Just three received guilty verdicts. • WIS News10: Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott confirms Sergeant First Class Jonathan Pentland had been arrested and charged with third-degree assault and battery after viral video footage showed him assaulting a young Black man on a public sidewalk. The charge carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine or 30 days in jail. • The Hill: A Minnesota man was arrested Wednesday for assault after he allegedly drove away while a police officer’s arm was trapped in his truck window. An officer was standing on the truck’s running board when Oeltjenbruns is accused of rolling up the window on his arm. The suspect then allegedly drove away at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, leaving the officer hanging off the vehicle. Note: the accused was neither tased nor shot.

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North Dakota Lawmakers Ban Transgender Students From Sports

Highway sign reading North Dakota

Highway sign reading North Dakota North Dakota’s state legislature passed a bill today prohibiting transgender students from participating in a school-sponsored athletic team. The bill passed 69 to 25 and now goes to Gov. Doug Burgum’s desk. Bills banning transgender students from sports participation are now awaiting vetoes or signatures from governors of North Dakota, Montana, Kansas and West Virginia.

Three previous states, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, have signed bills into law, and South Dakota’s governor issued executive orders after expressing concerns about the legality of the state’s ban. Lawmakers across the country have acknowledged they could not cite an instance of trans participation being an issue in their states. North Dakota has had a policy regulating trans participation for the last five and a half years. GLAAD released a guide for journalists covering the wave of anti-LGBTQ bills nationwide. Statement from Serena Sonoma, GLAAD’s Communications Coordinator and Regional Media Lead, U.S. South:

“Transgender young people just want to be safe, belong, and live free of discrimination, including from some in their own government. There is no evidence that including trans kids harms anyone.

“This bill and similar measures across dozens of states are unnecessary and harmful to all young people. Lawmakers must stop targeting the most vulnerable in their states. They are sending a terrible message that hurts all kids and threatens their states’ economies. Gov. Burgum must veto this damaging bill.”

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Derek Chauvin Invokes 5th Amendment Declining To Testify

Former police officer Derek Chauvin invoked his 5th Amendment right to not testify in his own defense

Former police officer Derek Chauvin invoked his 5th Amendment right to not testify in his own defense
Former police officer Derek Chauvin (screen capture)
Unsurprisingly, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin invoked his 5th Amendment right to not testify From the New York Times:

Nearing the end of the defense’s case, Mr. Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric J. Nelson, asked Mr. Chauvin whether he would like to testify in his own defense.

Mr. Nelson said he and Mr. Chauvin have had repeated conversations on the matter, including a “lengthy meeting” Wednesday night. Mr. Chauvin, who removed his mask to answer Mr. Nelson’s questions, chose to waive his right to testify.

The judge questioned Chauvin to make sure that he made his decision not to testify on his own in order to prevent any later claim that he was ill-advised by his defense. Testimony in the case has now concluded and closing arguments will be presented on Monday.

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Funny: “Bad Boy’s Big Break”

Does a 'Bad Boy' get his big porn break?

Does a 'Bad Boy' get his big porn break? In the latest installment of the Bad Boy web series, one of the ‘Bad Boys’ is about to get his big break in porn. Or is he? The series follows “Scott” (played by series creator Artie O’Daly), a mild-mannered gay writer in Los Angeles whose life is turned upside down by wild and wacky characters who somehow wander in and out of his home at will. In this episode, Scott finds he can’t concentrate on his latest screenplay as “BJ”  (Braden Davis) continually judges and critiques from over his shoulder. Scott heads out to find some peace and quiet as a mysterious director of adult films (Alina Bock) appears intent on casting “BJ” in an upcoming “weiner picture.” At the same time, Hollywood agent “Roderick” (Paul Riley Fox) drops by unannounced with the news that he really wants to sell a screenplay by “BJ” and make him famous.

Riley and Braden Davis in 'Bad Boy's Big Break'
L-R Paul Riley Fox and Braden Davis
Actually, “Roderick” is just interested in having sex with “BJ” again (Hollywood, don’t you know) although “BJ” doesn’t seem to remember the first sexual encounter:

“We met a couple of weeks ago when you gave me a lap dance in my office.” “You have to be more specific.” “We had sex and then you ghosted me.” “Like that narrows it down?”

Along the way, a sub-plot about a possible murder in a wood-chipper rears its head and there’s a mysterious stash of air fresheners. If it all sounds like it doesn’t make any sense, that’s because it doesn’t. O’Daly’s absurdist comedy storytelling ricochets from topic to topic with “Scott” trying to survive the verbal chaos. The sharp, rapid-fire dialogue and eccentric characters add up to a brief yet worthy escape from the madcap world we’re living in today. Hit the play button below and you can find my previous coverage of the acclaimed ‘Bad Boy’ web series here.

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Unemployment Claims Drop Sharply To Lowest Level Of Pandemic

Jobs report

Fewer and fewer Americans are filing for unemployment benefits as the economy recovers from COVID Signs of progress as new unemployment claims dropped to their lowest level of the pandemic last week and retail sales surged 9.8% in March. From the New York Times:

Jobless claims fell last week to their lowest level of the pandemic and the latest data on retail sales blew past expectations, renewing confidence in a dynamic economic revival.

About 613,000 people filed first-time claims for state unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, a decrease of 153,000 from the previous week.

In addition, 132,000 filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal program that covers freelancers, part-timers and others who do not routinely qualify for state benefits. That was a decline of 20,000 from the previous week.

Read the full article here.

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Gus Kenworthy Will Be Colton Underwood’s ‘Gay Guide’ On Netflix Series

Gus Kenworthy will serve as a 'gay guide' to newly-out Colton Underwood on new Netflix reality series
Gus Kenworthy will serve as a 'gay guide' to newly-out Colton Underwood on new Netflix reality series
L-R Colton Underwood, Gus Kenworthy (via screen cap, Instagram)

Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood, who came out as gay during an interview on Good Morning America Wednesday morning, is getting his own Netflix reality show.

The unscripted series, according to Variety, will focus on Underwood learning to navigate living his life as an out gay man.

While Netflix shared no details about the multi-episode series, an insider says out Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy will participate as a ‘gay guide’ of sorts as Underwood explores being a part of the LGBTQ community.

In that Underwood is a former NFL football player, and Kenworthy is a decorated free-style skier, it’s easy to imagine some discussion will be had on coming to grips with being gay while competing in such hyper-masculine sports.

No word on when the series will debut but the Netflix insider says the project is currently shooting.

Reality TV seems to be in Underwood’s blood as he’s been a big part of ‘Bachelor Nation’ for the past few years having taken part in The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and then eventually being cast as The Bachelor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNpRZsYByHh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In his interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, you could hear the nerves in Underwood’s voice as he shared he’s “run from myself for a long time” and “hated myself for a long time” before coming to the words, “I’m gay.”

“I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing all of that,” he added. “The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know.”

The 29-year-old also offered advice to anyone struggling with coming out saying, “When the time’s right and you’re ready, do it on your own time.”

Many on social media offered their support to Underwood including out celebs Andy Cohen, Billy Eichner, and Dan Levy.

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Poll: 43% Of Republicans Say They Won’t Get Vaccine

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine A new poll by Monmouth University shows 21% of Americans say they will never get a COVID-19 vaccine shot if they can avoid it. That number is down 3 points from similar polls by Monmouth in January and March. But – the survey was conducted before the recent news regarding Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Political affiliation is a big determining factor in how people feel about the vaccines. • 43% of Republicans say they’ll never get the shot versus 5% of Democrats; 22% of independents say they want to avoid getting the vaccine altogether. • Adults under age 65 continue to be more likely to avoid getting the vaccine (25%)  than seniors than seniors (11%). The survey also found President Biden currently holds a job rating of 54% approve and 41% disapprove. His rating last month stood at 51% to 42%. Biden garners good reviews for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak with 62% saying he has done a good job and 31% saying he has done a bad job. That’s an increase from 57%–31% in March and 58%–23% in late January. Click here for more results of the poll.