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CGI May Replace Physical Romance As Hollywood Ramps Up Again

L-R Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer in ‘Call Me By Your Name’
As of June 12, movie production in Hollywood will be allowed to resume. But the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will still be felt as actors get back into character. Not only will social distancing be required, but sexual distancing will also be the name of the game as well. A leaked 22-page document authored by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a group comprised of Hollywood studios, as well as Dr. Daniel Uslan, an infectious disease specialist at UCLA Medical Center, contains a list of guidelines that affect everyone working on a set. According to the document, “close contact moments” like romantic interludes or sex scenes should “either be rewritten, abandoned or CGI (computer-based imagery) fixes them.” The guidelines also advise that any fight scenes be reconsidered. In addition to the new rules for on-screen action, crew members will have to wear protective gear onset and every set will have to have a ‘coronavirus compliance officer’ present. Minors who might be overactive are to be relocated to off-set locations, and it’s suggested that actors and crew members keep petting animal actors to a minimum. TV shows will continue to broadcast without live audiences present. Plus, casting directors will be required to conduct auditions behind plexiglass barriers. Production in Hollywood came to an abrupt halt in mid-March as the coronavirus health threat spread across the country. Since then, several TV talk shows have turned to CGI for more creative backgrounds as hosts broadcast from their homes during the shelter-at-home orders in California.

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Trump Spreads Conspiracy Theory About Police-Bashed Buffalo Man

(screen capture)
After watching Russian disinformation network OANN, Donald Trump tweets out false smear against Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old white man pushed to the ground by police in Buffalo, NY, of faking his fall and being a member of ANTIFA. Gugino had to be taken to the hospital after hitting his head on the pavement, passing out and blood oozed from his ear. He is a member of two nonprofits and part of the Catholic Worker Movement. The president cited right-wing One America News Network (OANN) in making the incendiary claim, which comes amid a national debate over police brutality.

CBS journalist David Begnaud reports, “I just checked with the Erie County district attorneys office in New York about the condition of Martin Gugino, 75. The prosecutor’s spokeswoman says Gugino is still listed in critical condition at a local hospital. He’s been there since Saturday due to his head injury.

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News Round-Up: June 8, 2020

Fitness guru Joel Green (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joel Green (above) offers some good advice this Monday – ‘Do not give your past the power to define your future.’ Follow him on Instagram here. • Amazon Prime: The streaming video platform has curated a collection of LGBTQ films, documentaries, and television series all in one place for you to peruse including Rocketman, The Handmaiden, The L Word, RuPaul’s Drag Race and more. • Provincetown: The Massachusetts LGBTQ getaway is open for business just in time for Pride Month. The announcement by Governor Charlie Baker of Phase 2 of the reopening, effective today, allows lodging, restaurants, and retail to open under newly eased and specific guidelines mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(image via Provincetown Instagram)
• Out: Oregon State Head Coach Jonathan Smith dismissed sophomore football player Rocco Carley after learning he’d used racist and homophobic language in a recently discovered audio recording. Smith, along with the school’s Athletic Director Scott Barnes, agreed on booting Carley from the team saying what they heard was “entirely unacceptable, regardless of the circumstance or environment.” Carley has issued an apology saying – like just about everyone who finds themselves in this predicament – the recording doesn’t ‘represent’ who he is today. • The Advocate: L.A. Pride organizers have stepped away from the previously announced Black solidarity march after the event came under fire for its involvement with law enforcement. Some activists noted that any partnership with cops is counterintuitive to the purpose of the protests taking place in response to the killing of George Floyd, police brutality, and race-based violence. Pride organizers say they are “in full support” of the new protest, which is now named the All Black Lives Matter March. • New Music: Dig the super-catchy new single from pop-rock band Neon Trees, “New Best Friend,” from the band’s upcoming album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me. “They call me crazy, but crazy’s my new best friend.” “’New Best Friend’ is about embracing the crazy that lives within all of us,” shared out frontman Tyler Glenn. “The nostalgic highs, the unflattering lows, and the beautiful messiness of being human. I’ve realized that there are memories with people that have come and gone in my life, and while I reminisce on those moments, ultimately at the end of the day I’m still left with myself.”

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Podcast: Billy Porter, Thomas Roberts, Pride Month, Coming Out, The Village People

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: • Billy Porter shares his ‘Message to America’ Link to full video here (warning – strong language) • A federal judge issued an important ruling for same-sex married couples • Audible produces a free series of coming out stories titled, Coming Out Party: A Pride Celebration. Click here for more info. • Veteran gay journalist Thomas Roberts has announced a free daily news show featuring ‘gay good news’ titled, Thomas Roberts Live at 5 • The Village People have had enough of Donald Trump • The co-writer/producer of Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” shares a revealing story about the song’s iconic queer history All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Monday Man Crush

Ramses Principe and King share a ‘cheat meal’ (via Instagram)
Catching up on how some of my favorite InstaHunks spent their weekend. First up (above), fitness expert Ramses Principe shared his ‘cheat day’ meal with his handsome bestie, King. David Mcintosh also spent some weekend time with his perfectly adorable pooch:

Dan Tai summarized his quarantine experience thusly:

 

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“Summarise you’re quarantine in one photo” Me:

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Graphic artist Silverjow’s Hunks of the Week celebrate Pride Month together: “Being visible should never leave you feeling vulnerable”

 

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#pride #pridemonth Hunks of the week #127

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Blacktain America is super-proud of his new fade – “Barbers are back”

 

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Barbers are back ☺️

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Video: Police Slashed Tires Of Vehicles Parked Near Protests

Video footage discovered by Mother Jones shows what appears to be police officers slashing the tires of several cars parked in Minneapolis over the weekend. From Mother Jones:

After long nights of tear gas and rubber bullets, some protesters, news crews, and medics in Minneapolis last weekend found themselves stranded: The tires of their cars had been slashed.

In a city upended by protests about police brutality after the death of George Floyd, many assumed protesters were to blame. But videos reveal a different culprit: the police.

In the videos, officers puncture tires in a K-Mart parking lot on May 30 and a highway overpass on May 31. Both areas briefly turned into police staging grounds near protest hot spots.

The officers appear to be state troopers or county police, though it’s not clear from the videos. Neither the Minnesota State Patrol nor the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office responded to requests from Mother Jones. The Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota National Guard denied involvement.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported after the Mother Jones story that a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety acknowledged State Patrol troopers “strategically deflated tires in order to stop behaviors such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement.” The spokesman, Bruce Gordon, added vehicles “that contained items used to cause harm during violent protests” such as rocks, concrete, and sticks were targeted. “While not a typical tactic, vehicles were being used as dangerous weapons and inhibited our ability to clear areas and keep areas safe where violent protests were occurring,” said Gordon. Anoka County Sheriff’s Lt. Andy Knotz also confirmed deputies from Anoka County followed state orders and joined the patrol and also cut the tires on vehicles. Knotz said the deputies got their directions from the state-led Multiagency Command Center [MACC], which has been coordinating law enforcement during the numerous protests since the death of George Floyd on May 25.

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Biden Campaign Launches ‘Out For Biden’ LGBTQ Voter Outreach

President Biden has issued a proclamation recognizing June 2024 as LGBTQ Pride Month.

Former Vice President Joe Biden
In an effort to engage with millions of LGBTQ voters ahead of the upcoming presidential election in November, former Vice President Joe Biden will launch a national voter outreach effort to coincide with Pride Month. CBS News reports the campaign program, titled ‘Out For Biden,’ a national get-out-the-vote effort focusing on the estimated 11 million LGBTQ voters across the nation, with special emphasis on vital battleground states. A study conducted by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute found approximately 50 percent of registered LGBTQ voters identify as Democrats, 15 percent are registered Republicans and 22 percent say they are Independents. A notable factoid that requires attention: the study found about one-fifth of LGBTQs of voting age are not registered to vote. For perspective regarding possible impact, it’s worth noting that in 2016 Donald Trump won the state of Florida by 112,911 votes and there are approximately 772,000 LGBTQ voters in the Sunshine state. In Pennsylvania, Trump had a victory margin of 44,292 votes and there are an estimated 416,000 queer voters in the state. And in Michigan, where there are 311,000 LGBTQ voters, Trump squeaked by with a bare 10,704 votes. The ‘Out For Biden’ outreach will begin as a virtual effort primarily due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Online conversations will be held on issues of health, race and sports, related to the LGBTQ community. Additionally, “tool kits” will be available which include voter registration information and messaging to engage with others regarding LGBTQ equality issues. Campaign officials say the outreach will be led in part by a group of 32 LGBTQ politicians and allies including openly lesbian Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) plus 6 other openly queer congressional members. Transgender elected officials, like Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, will also have a prominent voice. As Instinct reported last week, while the White House was silent regarding Pride Month this year, Biden penned a lengthy essay detailing his past efforts as well as his plans to empower the LGBTQ community as president. Biden, who crossed the delegate threshold to become the Democratic presidential nominee last week, closed his Pride proclamation writing, “I believe in the story of this country and the LGBTQ+ community.” For more information about ‘Out For Biden,’ visit the official Joe Biden campaign website. In related news, Biden has jumped to a 14 point lead in the latest CNN/SSRS national poll with Biden garnering 55 percent to Trump’s 41 percent. But for those inclined to follow politics, national polls may offer a sense of the country’s political temperature, but they aren’t useful in determining the actual state of the presidential race. As many have noted, the 2020 contest will most likely be determined in a handful of swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, and Arizona. You can check in on those battleground states’ recent polls at Real Clear Politics. Currently, in RCP’s average of polls, Biden leads Trump nationally by 7.8 percent. But more importantly, he holds small leads in each of those above-named swing states.

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Mariah Carey Zoom Bombs Cast Of Schitt’s Creek Graduation Celebration

Mariah Carey zoom bombs the cast of Schitt’s Creek (screen capture)
The cast of Schitt’s Creek zoomed up a special musical presentation for 2020 grads as part of ‘Dear Class of 2020’, a virtual commencement celebration broadcast on YouTube. After sharing their pride and congratulations to the new grads (complete with the exemplary vocabulary skills of Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose), the cast began a gorgeous a capella rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” (led by Noah Reid) in honor of the teachers who guided their students to the finish line. But it wouldn’t be Schitt’s Creek without a twist, and so guess who zoomed themselves right into the musical moment? Mimi herself, Mariah Carey – complete with wind machine for flowing hair effects. It’s a lovely musical moment for a Monday morning 🙂

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2nd Annual Criminal Queerness Festival Goes Global As Part Of NYC Pride

L-R Karen Eilbacher and T Thompson in Waafrika 123 (photo: Sean Velasco Dodge)
Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil Jr. The uprising for social justice and equality in America, which has been expanding exponentially over the past weeks, is not unique to this country.  It has become the catalyst for demonstrations and protests around the world. But in some countries conversations about equality especially for LGBTQ+ people are illegal and silenced.  Queer artists have no stage for their voice or work and are forced to go outside their own countries for the freedom to express who they are. National Queer Theater and Dixon Place, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and NYC Pride, are proud to present the second annual Criminal Queerness Festival, running online June 13–29, 2020. This one-of-a-kind event showcases queer and trans artists from countries that criminalize or censor LGBTQ+ communities. The festival, an official event of NYC Pride, builds a global queer community rooted in activism and dedicated to the equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ people around the world. Through a dozen online performances, conversations, and masterclasses, the Criminal Queerness Festival brings together queer artists, activists, and audiences to address global homophobia and transphobia. All events are free. A schedule, event details, and direct links can be found at dixonplace.org. Originally curated as a live theater festival, the second annual Criminal Queerness Festival has been modified in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The programming centers on the work of four international queer artists whose new plays were scheduled to premiere at Dixon Place in June. Migguel Anggelo, a Venezuelan-born, Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, a resident playwright at New Dramatists and a 2019 Lambda Literary Award Winner Amahl Khouri, a queer, transgender, Jordanian playwright and theater-maker based in Berlin Omer Abbas Salem, a Chicago-based actor and playwright originally from Syria, Turkey, and Egypt. Adam Odsess-Rubin, Artistic Director of National Queer Theater said, “While we can’t gather in person to experience the work of these brave playwrights, I’m humbled that the second edition of the Criminal Queerness Festival has transformed into a truly global event. By moving online, audiences all over the world can now experience the festival’s powerful message that all people deserve the basic human rights of happiness, respect, and safety.” Detailed descriptions for each event available HERE    Lawrence Pfeil, Jr., is a freelance writer/playwright who has reviewed film and theatre, both on and off-Broadway, for media outlets including The Randy Report, the New York Blade, and Edge Publications. You can follow him at TheOUTfront.com.

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Filmmakers Edit Ivanka Trump’s Commencement Speech

From the activist filmmakers group The Meidas Touch:

Our video #ByeIvanka takes the commencement address given by Ivanka Trump today that no one asked her or invited her to give (which she gave in front of an empty room using White House resources after Wichita State canceled her speech because her and her family are hate mongers) and places her scripted, sterile, and disingenuous words against the backdrop of what is actually going on in the country.

Juxtaposed to the First Daughter’s speech are sound bites of reports that she and her husband Jared Kushner made $82 million last year and footage of her dining with China’s president at Mar-a-Lago.