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Gay Man Loses Front Teeth In Homophobic Attack Over Pride Flag

Tom Anderson (screen capture via Boston 25 News)
A gay man in the southeastern Massachusetts town of Taunton was attacked in his own front yard in late June for hanging a rainbow Pride flag. Tom Anderson told local news affiliate Boston 25 News he and his husband Jacob had the flag up for only an hour when a random driver by stopped his car, got out and attacked him. As the man approached, Anderson says he cursed at him, using homophobic slurs and punched him in the face. “I was kind of in a state of disbelief like ‘Really? I’m in my own yard,’” Anderson told the news outlet. “I saw the guy just come up and yell those nasty words at my husband and then hit him two or three times and then took off back into his car and screeched away,” said Jacob Anderson, Tom’s husband. As a result of the attack, Tom lost his two front teeth and required several stitches to close his wounds.
(screen capture)
“It’s definitely a hate crime just based on the words he used,” Jacob added. The couple says another person passing by witnessed the attack and stopped to help them. The local police were called and given a description of the man and his car but no word yet on if the attacker has been found. Taunton Police say the investigation is ongoing. Tom says his concern is that people may think “this is okay to do.” Still, the Andersons share their community has been “amazing.” Since the incident, they’ve seen an outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers. The couple, who have been married nine years, say they’ve even received a home security system as a gift. And instead of becoming fearful in the aftermath of the attack, Tom says he has no plans to stop flying his Pride flag. In fact, he says, “I want to just keep it up all year long now.” (source: Boston 25 News)

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Tonight: Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival

2020 Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival (photo: Scott Shaw Photography)
What to watch tonight? Check this out 🙂 The charitable event of the Fire Island summer goes digital when the Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival streams an evening of celebrated dance at 7 pm Eastern on July 17, 2020. The first-ever stream in the event’s 26-year history will feature world premieres of three new pieces and three beloved festival favorites. The festival is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Last year’s event – held on July 19-21 – raised a record-shattering $657,842 over three days. The player below will go live as the stream begins, or you can click here to watch directly on YouTube.

This year’s virtual festival will include world premieres by modern tap dancer Ayodele Casel, one of The New York Times’ “Biggest Breakout Stars of 2019”; KEIGWIN + COMPANY Artistic Director Larry Kiegwin; and Stephen Petronio, artistic director of Stephen Petronio Company. The stream also will feature past festival performances by Emmy Award nominee Al Blackstone; MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow Kyle Abraham and acclaimed dancer and choreographer Garrett Smith. “Although we can’t gather together in The Pines, we’re thrilled to be able to invite our community to enjoy world-class dance performances online through the Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival,” said Denise Roberts Hurlin, founding director of Dancers Responding to AIDS. While the stream is free, should you feel ‘moved’ to do so (see what I did there?), any donation large or small is definitely appreciated. You can check out highlights from last year’s event below.

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Podcast: Possible HIV Cure, Chicago Gayborhood Getting New Name, And More

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • For the first time, HIV appears to be eradicated using only medications • Poland’s anti-LGBTQ president squeaks out reelection • White House press secretary raises eye-brows claiming Donald Trump’s “pro-LGBTQ” agenda • Chicago’s Boystown may get a new name All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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St. Louis: Trump Getting Involved In Case Of Wealthy Gun-Toting Couple

(photo: Daniel Shular/Twitter)
Donald Trump is reportedly getting involved in the case of a wealthy St. Louis couple who threatened Black Lives Matters protesters with guns outside their St. Louis mansion. From Business Insider:

The couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, are under review for criminal charges, St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said Tuesday, adding that the police had filed for warrants in the case.

Pictures of the couple waving weapons at protesters on June 28 were shared widely and were seen by many as a symbol of tensions in the US following the death of George Floyd.

On Tuesday, Missouri’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, said Trump “doesn’t like what he sees and the way these people are being treated.”

Parson, as quoted by The Washington Post, said he thought the president and Attorney General William Barr “are going to take a look” at the McCloskey case.

“The president said that he would do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation and he would be taking action to do that,” Parson said.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in a statement accused the president and the governor of playing politics with the case.

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Brian Austin Green Serves Up Dad Bod For 47th Bday

Brian Austin Green on dad duty at the grill (image via Instagram)
Brian Austin Green, who came to fame playing high school nerd David Silver on the 1990s hit series Beverly Hills 90210, turned 47 this week sharing the day with his kids while sharing his dad bod with his Instagram fans. Green posted pics of his big day with three of his four sons, Noah, Bodhi, and Journey. The actor announced in May he had split with the boys’ mother, actress Megan Fox. Green started the day with “Coffee and popsicles – the breakfast of champions,” before hitting the beach with the kids. And, of course, there was the traditional pic lighting candles on his b-day cake with the little ones before he headed off for ‘dad duty’ at the grill. https://www.instagram.com/p/CCoJtphnDob/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CCmVg5_n44y/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrcWOXnhj5/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CCosJqcnZbH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Green also has an 18-year-old son Kassius with his former 90210 castmate, Vanessa Marcil. After the 10-year run of 90210, Green continued acting on television as a series regular on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Freddie, Wedding Band, and Anger Management. Most recently, he reunited with his Beverly Hills 90210 costars for a six-episode reboot of the 90s hit in 2019. Titled, BH90210, the former teen stars got back together to play heightened versions of themselves in a serialized drama “inspired by their real lives and relationships with each other.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B0UdYyxHPEV/

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GLEE’s Heather Morris Shares Touching Tribute To Naya Rivera

L-R Naya Rivera, Heather Morris (image via Fox)
Actress and dancer Heather Morris has shared a touching tribute to her former GLEE costar Naya Rivera, who played her on-screen wife, Santana Lopez, on the hit series. Santana’s body was found in a Southern California lake where she apparently drowned saving the life of her young 4-year-old son. Morris, who played out bisexual character Brittany Pierce on the series, honored Rivera in an emotional letter posted to her Instagram on Wednesday. Noting their friendship had “a bit of a rocky phase” here and there, Morris captures the nuances of what she describes as “the most beautiful friendship built out of love and understanding.” What strikes me the most about the personal message is that instead of generic ‘grief and sadness’ tones, Morris shares specific life moments between Rivera and herself like gifts of oranges left at front doors and the reason why she didn’t post a photo of the two together in her tribute. I won’t do it justice, so I encourage you to read it for yourself.

We started out as the closest friends and then like all new things, we went through a bit of a rocky phase. However, we stuck by each other’s side and created the most beautiful friendship built out of love and understanding.

The last I had the chance to see you in person, I had left oranges outside our home for you to take. I wanted to say hi through the window but my phone didn’t ring when you called (which it never does, f*cking T-Mobile), so instead you and Josey left two succulents on our doorstep as a thank you. I planted those succulents and I look at them every day and think of you.

I still listen to your EP on repeat because from the moment I heard it, it struck me and I always wished the world knew more of your voice. You sent me over 5 dozen SnapChat videos when you and Josey woke up in the morning and I kick myself that I didn’t save one of them.

You always shared recipes and I admired your love for food. We vowed to spend every Easter together, even though Covid stole this last one from us. You are and always will be the strongest and most resilient human being I know, and I vowed to carry that with me as I continue to live my life.

You constantly taught me lessons about grief, about beauty and poise, about being strong, resilient, and about not giving a fuck (but still somehow respectful). Yet, the utmost important lesson I learned most of all from you was being a consistent and loving friend. You were the first to check in, the first to ask questions, the first to listen..you cherished our friendship and I never took that for granted.

We never took photos together because we mutually hated taking pictures…our relationship meant more than proof. I have countless pictures of our babies playing because we shared that kind of pride and joy.

So I’m showing the world a photo of our little goofballs for you, because I know that meant more than anything and they remind me of you and I.

I speak to you every day because I know you’re still with me and even though I’m feeling greedy that we don’t get more time together, I cherish every moment we had and hold it close to my heart.

 

 

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We started out as the closest friends and then like all new things, we went through a bit of a rocky phase. However, we stuck by each other’s side and created the most beautiful friendship built out of love and understanding. The last I had the chance to see you in person, I had left oranges outside our home for you to take. I wanted to say hi through the window but my phone didn’t ring when you called (which it never does, f*cking T-Mobile), so instead you and Josey left two succulents on our doorstep as a thank you. I planted those succulents and I look at them everyday and think of you. I still listen to your EP on repeat because from the moment I heard it, it struck me and I always wished the world knew more of your voice. You sent me over 5 dozen SnapChat videos when you and Josey woke up in the morning and I kick myself that I didn’t save one of them. You always shared recipes and I admired your love for food. We vowed to spend every Easter together, even though Covid stole this last one from us. You are and always will be the strongest and most resilient human being I know, and I vowed to carry that with me as I continue to live my life. You constantly taught me lessons about grief, about beauty and poise, about being strong, resilient and about not giving a fuck (but still somehow respectful ). Yet, the utmost important lesson I learned most of all from you was being a consistent and loving friend. You were the first to check in, the first to ask questions, the first to listen..you cherished our friendship and I never took that for granted. We never took photos together because we mutually hated taking pictures…our relationship meant more than proof. I have countless pictures of our babies playing, because we shared that kind of pride and joy. So I’m showing the world a photo of our little goof balls for you, because I know that meant more than anything and they remind me of you and I. I speak to you everyday because I know you’re still with me and even though I’m feeling greedy that we don’t get more time together, I cherish every moment we had and hold it close to my heart.

A post shared by Heather Morris (@heatherrelizabethh) on

It’s important to note that Rivera’s performance as the tough-as-nails Santana gave LGBTQ Puerto Ricans a rare moment of proud representation on television. The 33-year-old actress had also appeared on the CBS sitcom “The Royal Family” and in the comedy film “The Master of Disguise.” Her most recent role was in the YouTube Red series Step Up, based on the movie franchise. Other castmates have offered their messages of sympathy via social media as well.  

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2020 Obie Awards: 3 Casts Of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Unite For “Our Time”

(screen capture)
This definitely qualifies for a #ThrowbackThursday post 🙂 On Tuesday night, the theater world celebrated the 65th annual Obie Awards honoring the best of Off and Off-Off-Broadway in a most virtually virtuous night on the internet! Viewers were treated to a special moment as members of the 1994 York Theatre Company revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along joined members of the original Broadway and 2019 Fiasco Theater revival casts for a special performance of “Our Time” in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the York production’s Obie Award wins. Based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, the show chronicles the story of three friends from early adulthood to midlife – but in reverse. The musical is about optimism, idealism, holding friends accountable and the fallout when those ideas collide as we journey through life. As the show begins, we meet the three anti-heroes at difficult crossroads in their lives and their friendships. With each proceeding scene, the story is rewound ultimately arriving at their younger selves – lacking any cynicism and simply bursting with optimism about what lay ahead for them. But by then, we’ve seen the future. “How did you get to be here? What was the moment?”
Cast members from the original, 1994 revival and 2019 revival of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’
The original production opened (and closed) in 1981. I was a freshman musical theatre major at Syracuse University that fall, and even though we were hours away from New York City, the new show was very much on the minds of my fellow theater students as a recent graduate has scored the lead role of Franklin Shepard. A very, very big deal. Unfortunately, in an almost ‘only in a musical’ twist, my fellow Syracuse alum was replaced before opening night. Garnering brutal reviews, the show quickly closed. It was the first (and rare) critical failure among successful collaborations between Sondheim and Broadway director/producer Hal Prince (21 Tony Awards). While the reverse storytelling reportedly confused the audience – even though each scene’s year was projected on a screen for the audience – the score has been almost universally lauded as “brilliant.” It’s been revisited in several high profile productions over the years in the hope that the show might be ‘fixed.’ The show finally hit its stride with the original London production in 2001 winning 3 Laurence Olivier Awards including Best Musical. In 2014, the show would repeat that success at the Olivier Awards winning Best Revival of a Musical. The song “Our Time” is what we would call the 11 o’clock number or emotional apex of the show. Set on the roof of an apartment house in New York City in 1957, young Frank and Charley are staring at the nighttime sky waiting for a glimpse of the first-ever earth-orbiting satellite, Sputnik. During the scene, Mary, their neighbor, arrives to view the satellite and meets the boys for the first time. Suddenly, Sputnik is there in the sky, and in that moment, for the young friends, anything seems possible. Check out the moving virtual reunion of three casts of Merrily We Roll Along singing “Our Time.”

While the show didn’t survive its original 1981 incarnation, many of the young actors in that cast were – like the show’s subjects – just beginning. Among them were future Broadway luminaries including future Tony Award winners Jason Alexander (Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) and Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam), as well as Tony Award nominee Liz Callaway (Baby, Miss Saigon, Cats), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) and Jim Walton (42nd Street, Sweeny Todd). In 2016, original cast member Lonny Price (Charley) directed the acclaimed documentary, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened,  reuniting many of the 1981 cast members to reflect and remember the impact the show and its idealism had on the actors. I wrote about the film here.

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News Round-Up: July 15, 2020

Joe Blizzard (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above), signaling in from Yosemite National Park, calls this “being a nerd, as usual.” Nerd??? • LGBTQ Nation: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed four pro-LGBTQ bills into law this week. The new laws range from banning gay/trans panic legal defenses in cases of violence, making PrEP easier for gay folks to obtain to prevent HIV infection, and making it easier for trans people to change the gender markers on their state ID documents. • GMA: Mary Trump, niece to President Trump, whose new book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, was just released, speaking to ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos about her uncle: “He is utterly incapable of leading this country, and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so.” It’s worth noting that Ms. Trump is a trained clinical psychologist.

• Washington Blade: Facebook and Instagram have announced they will ban conversion therapy content/posts on their sites, following a block on paid ads promoting the practice earlier this year. • Instinct Magazine: LA Pride has announced that it will be moving out of West Hollywood after almost five decades of celebration citing ongoing construction in West Hollywood Park as well as the changing demographics of Greater Los Angeles. • VOTE: Eight of America’s leading fitness photographers have joined forces for “Flex Your Vote,” a new campaign that urges the LGBTQ community and its allies to the polls this November. “It’s painfully clear why this is the most important time in our lifetimes to vote,” says Mike Ruiz, the campaign’s organizer. “We are being engulfed by a pandemic, millions are unemployed, the government is riddled with corruption. We need to change the direction of this country or we are headed towards a dictatorship where we will be stripped of our rights.”

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WICKED: 11 Elphabas Unite For The Arts In Epic ‘Defying Gravity’

Clockwise from top – Idina Menzel, Lindsay Mendez, Shoshana Bean, Stephanie J. Block
Eleven “Elpahbas” from the blockbuster musical Wicked unite to support the arts. This epic “Defying Gravity” features (in order of appearance) Shoshana Bean, Eden Espinosa, Stephanie J. Block, Alexia Khadime, Julia Murney, Lindsay Mendez, Lindsay Pearce, Rachel Tucker, Jessica Vosk, Idina Menzel, and Kerry Ellis. Excerpted from the virtual concert Shoshana Bean and Friends: An Evening of Broadway, which premiered live on July 13, 2020. Shoshana organized the event to support and benefit the arts programs at her alma mater, Beaverton High School. Click here for more info and/or donate. Folks, this is worth hitting play 😉 As the first comment on the YouTube page says, “This is what gay heaven sounds like.”