In advance of Pride month, Pixar Studios has released an adorable animated short film that tells the tale of a young man coming out to his parents. The nine-minute short, titled Out, is the story of Greg who is getting ready to move in with his boyfriend Manuel. The film’s conflict? Greg hasn’t come out to his family. While packing to move, his parents unexpectedly show up to help. Aided by his trusty fairy god-pets, Greg has to figure out how to handle THE moment. The short is written and directed by Steven Clay Hunter, a longtime animator for Pixar whose past credits include A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, and The Incredibles. While there have been queer characters in supporting roles in past Disney projects, this is apparently the first time a gay character has taken the lead in a Mouse House release. Longtime readers know that, due to my short attention span, I’m a fan of short-form content 🙂 You can check out the super-cute teaser below. The full nine-minute short is currently streaming on Disney+.
In this week’s podcast: • Prosecutors in Uganda have dropped charges against 19 LGBTQ people held in jail for 49 days • A ‘once every two months’ injectable version of PrEP has shown very positive results in clinical trials • Albania bans so-called ‘conversion therapy’ • NYC Pride has announced a huge 50th anniversary Pride television special featuring Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Janelle Monae, and more. • The 2020 Daytime Emmy nominations are out with big love for LGBTQ actors and shows Here’s the link to my recent interview with the Emmy Award-winning creators of the Amazon series ‘After Forever’ • Out singer/songwriter Clinton John’s new single “Cry” taps into those frustrating times when you realize you’re really not over that lost love. Link to download “Cry.” All that in this episode of The Randy Report.
(images via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • Buzzfeed News: Mike Shultz (above), a gay nurse who attended the Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach, shared side-by-side before and after photos on Instagram to demonstrate how COVID-19 had affected his body in six weeks. “I wanted to show it can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, have preexisting conditions or not. It can affect you.” • KIT212: Check out the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications like South Florida Hot Spots chatting with former American Idol alum David Hernandez (below). (image via South Florida Hot Spots) • Gay Star News: On March 3, three men shouting homophobic abuse at a 37-year-old in the heart of London pushed him into the street and attacked him. The police have arrested three men, all aged 21 years old, on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. • New Music: Superstar duo Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande dropped their new music video, “Rain On Me,” at midnight and it immediately shot to #1 in 26 countries on iTunes. “Rain On Me” is the second single from Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated sixth studio album Chromatica, which will be released on May 29.
• New York Times: The W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, currently has just one occupant among its hundreds of luxury guest rooms. Maintenance engineer Daniel Ordoñez has lived alone in the hotel since March handling tasks that must be done on a regular basis like opening the 1,400 water taps every five days. • Washington Post: A study of 96,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients on six continents found that those who received an antimalarial drug promoted by President Trump as a “game-changer” in the fight against the virus had a significantly higher risk of death compared with those who did not. People treated with hydroxychloroquine were also more likely to develop a type of irregular heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, that can lead to sudden cardiac death. • Entertainment Weekly: I found this look back at the “mad, sad, totally fab life of Paul Lynde” by EW a great read. Click the play button below to relive some of the comedian’s funniest one-liners on the iconic game show, Hollywood Squares.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (screen capture) Former vice president Joe Biden created a firestorm today when he told a black radio host that African American voters who can’t seem to decide between voting for him and Donald Trump at this point in time “ain’t black.” Biden apologized today saying he shouldn’t have been so ‘cavalier’ in his remarks. From NBC News:
At the end of an 18-minute radio interview with The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne tha God airing Friday morning, Biden responded to the host’s desire for the candidate to answer more questions by saying,”You got more questions? I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
Hours later, Biden expressed regret for the remarks, calling them “really unfortunate” and saying he “shouldn’t have been such a wise guy.”
“I shouldn’t have been so cavalier in responding,” he said during a phone call with the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce Friday afternoon. “No one should have to vote for any party, based on their race or religion or background,” Biden said.
At another point on the call, Biden admitted, “I know that the comments have come off like I was taking the African American folks for granted … but nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I’ve never ever done that, and I’ve earned it every time I’ve run. I was making the point that I have never taken a vote for granted,” he said.
The remark was, of course, wrong. That said, Biden quickly admitted the remarks was bone-headed and apologized – something Donald Trump could never do. As Republicans seized on the comments, Symone Sanders, a senior adviser on the Biden campaign tweeted that the comments came at the end of the conversation and were made in jest.
The comments made at the end of the Breakfast Club interview were in jest, but let’s be clear about what the VP was saying: he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day. Period.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) May 22, 2020
Former Senate staffer Tara Reade (screen capture)Axios is reporting the prominent sexual harassment lawyer representing Tara Reade, the former Senate staffer who has accused Joe Biden of sexual assault in 1993, has announced his office is not representing Reade any longer.
While Wigdor did not provide a reason behind his firm’s decision, he did say that the move is “by no means a reflection” on the veracity of her allegations.
Some of Wigdor’s most notable cases have taken on Fox News, including former top host Bill O’Reilly, and Harvey Weinstein.
Despite his caseload, Wigdor has also garnered press for being a staunch conservative and supporter of President Trump.
The big picture: The development comes a day after California defense attorneys said they are reviewing cases in which Reade testified as an expert on domestic violence, following concerns that she misrepresented her academic qualifications.
Additionally, CNN has recently reported problems with Reade’s claim that she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Antioch University in Seattle; the school denied to CNN that she ever graduated from the university. As a result, defense attorneys in California say they are now reviewing cases in which Reade testified as an expert based, in part, on her educational credentials. This is the full statement from Wigdor’s law firm:
“Our Firm no longer represents Tara Reade. Our decision, made on May 20, is by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade. On that point, our view which is the same view held by the majority of Americans, according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll has not changed. We also believe to a large extent Ms. Reade has been subjected to a double standard in terms of the media coverage she has received.
“Much of what has been written about Ms. Reade is not probative of whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted her, but rather is intended to victim-shame and attack her credibility on unrelated and irrelevant matters. We genuinely wish Ms. Reade well and hope that she, as a survivor, is treated fairly. We have and will continue to represent survivors regardless of their alleged predator’s status or politics.”
LGBTQ rights icon Harvey Milk (image via TheOUTFront)Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. Born May 22, 1930, Harvey Milk is listed as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Important People of the 20th Century,” because he spoke out not only for LGBTQ people but women, people of color and other communities living on the margins.
“All men are created equal. No matter how hard they try, they can never erase those words. That is what America is about.”
A Naval and Korean War Veteran, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man elected in California, to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in1977. At a time when anti-gay ballot issues were winning across the country, Milk and his coalition were a major force in defeating California’s “Prop. 6 Briggs’ Initiative” that mandated firing teachers for being gay.
“It takes no compromise to give people their rights, it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.”
He was the first openly gay man elected to public office; but more than that, he won that election a mere eight years after the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969. His message of inclusion, the value of the marginalized, which he built his representative coalition around, also help elect the first Asian American man and African American woman to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. In his short eleven months in office, he spearheaded the defeat of California’s “Brigg’s Initiative” which would have prohibited gays and lesbians from teaching in schools.
Like Abraham Lincoln, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. before him, the gay civil rights leader and champion of equality and justice, knew what history held in store. What Harvey Milk could not have known was the recording he made in the event of his murder would be played just nine days later, when a white, Christian, anti-gay, straight, gunman assassinated him and San Francisco Mayor, George Moscone in their City Hall offices on November 27, 1978.
“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”
While it is impossible to imagine what Harvey Milk might have gone on to achieve had he not been killed, it’s plain to see the lasting impact his living legacy has had on the LGBT+ Community and America as a whole. He has received countless honors posthumously, including a Naval ship named after him; the first postal stamp recognizing an openly gay American, a critically acclaimed biopic; and our country’s highest honor given to a civilian, the Medal of Freedom, presented by President Obama in 2009.
In 1985, The Times of Harvey Milk, narrated by Harvey Fierstein, became the first gay-themed film by openly LGBTQ filmmakers to win an Academy Award. The stirring documentary focuses on an ordinary man who believed in ordinary values but made extraordinary accomplishments by giving everyone hope. It’s colorfully told by the vibrant and dedicated people who were a part of the movement and is profoundly moving. But greater than all these is the lasting legacy Harvey Milk gave us in his words and wisdom. It is striking in comparison to today’s divisive social and political rhetoric, that Harvey Milk succeeded in bringing people together by speaking of hope. He spoke of and to the “us’s” as equal people in our communities, that the marginalized matter.
“The fact is that more people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason. That, that my friends, that is true perversion!”
“I have tasted freedom. I will not give up that which I have tasted.”
“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”
“It’s not my victory, it’s yours and yours and yours. If a gay can win, it means there is hope that the system can work for all minorities if we fight. We’ve given them hope.”
“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.”
“If you are not personally free to be yourself in that most important of all human activities… the expression of love… then life itself loses its meaning.”
“Hope is never silent.”
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.
Mitchell Anderson & Kevin Spirtas in ‘After Forever;’ the cast of ‘Eastsiders’ (images via Instagram) The nominees for the 47th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards were announced on Thursday with some big love to LGBTQ-themed work and artists. The Netflix dark comedy Eastsiders scored 8 nominations including Outstanding Digital Drama Series, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Willam Belli and Leith M. Burke each got a nod for Outstanding Supporting Actor Digital Series; Lin Shaye for Outstanding Guest Performer Digital Series; Outstanding Writing Team Digital Series; Outstanding Casting; Outstanding Costume Design; and Outstanding Makeup. While RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Willam isn’t the first drag queen to receive an Emmy nod, I believe this is the first time a drag performer has received a nomination in an acting category.
Y’all! @eastsiderstv has been nominated for 8 DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS, including Digital Drama, Writing, Supporting Actor for @willam and @beleith, Guest Performer for @mslinshaye, Casting, Costume Design and Makeup! Congrats to everyone on all your hard work!! pic.twitter.com/m9mTKfaXJi
Congratulations to @willam for being nominated for an EMMY for Best Supporting Actor in a Digital Drama Series for @EastSidersTV! Such a hilarious and heartfelt performance, in and out of drag. Is this the first time a drag queen has been nominated in an acting category?! 💙💙💙 pic.twitter.com/Rm8INTrIzR
The acclaimed Amazon Video digital series After Foreverwas honored with 6 nominations including Outstanding Digital Drama Series; Cady Huffman for Outstanding Lead Actress Digital Series; Lenny Wolpe for Outstanding Supporting Actor Digital Series; Mary Beth Peil for Outstanding Guest Performer Digital Series; Outstanding Writing Team Digital Series and Outstanding Art/Set Direction/Scenic Design. This was the second season of the acclaimed Amazon series. Two years ago, After Forever received 8 nominations and won 5 including Best Digital Drama Series. Additionally, series creator Kevin Spirtas scored for Best Actor Digital Series and Best Writing Team.
A post shared by After Forever (@afterforevertheseries) on
Afternoon talkfest The Ellen DeGeneres Show added to its long list of Emmy honors with 5 nominations including Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show, Outstanding Writing for a Special Class Series, Outstanding Directing for Talk/Entertainment/Morning Program, Outstanding Sound Mixing, Outstanding Art/Set/Scenic Design. And the innovative lip-sync documentary Stonewall Outloud, which utilized rare recordings of people who experienced the Stonewall uprising in 1969, received a nod for Outstanding Direction – Special Class.
The honors will be presented in a two-hour special on Friday, June 26 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Since 1974, the Daytime Emmy® Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in daytime television programming. The awards are presented to individuals and programs broadcast between 2:00 am and 6:00 pm, as well as certain categories of digital and syndicated programming of similar content. This year’s nominations were culled from more than 2,700 submissions and judged by a pool of 1,000 peer professionals from across the television industry. Awards will be presented in leading categories during the telecast, with recipients and other special guests appearing from home in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find the full list of nominees at TheEmmys.tv. In case you missed it, you can check out my exclusive interview with the Emmy Award-winning co-creators of After Forever, Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas, below.
Ahmaud Arbery The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested the man who filmed the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, the unarmed 25-year-old black man who was killed during an encounter with two white men, in connection with the killing. From the New York Times:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that the man, William Bryan, 50, was arrested on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. The two other men, Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, were charged with murder and aggravated assault this month.
Mr. Bryan, who is white, recorded the confrontation on Feb. 23 as the McMichaels pursued Mr. Arbery while he was running through the Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick on the southeastern Georgia coast.
More than two months passed without arrests or criminal charges, and the video, released online this month, has been credited with bringing a surge of attention to the case and mobilizing activists. After the McMichaels were arrested, pressure ratcheted up for the authorities to arrest Mr. Bryan, who is known as Roddie.
Activists have said publicly that Bryan “had been more than a bystander.” Arbery’s family issued a statement this evening saying they were “relieved” by the arrest. “His involvement in the murder of Mr. Arbery was obvious to us, to many around the country and after their thorough investigation, it was clear to the G.B.I. as well,” read the statement.
Earlier this week,the director of the acclaimed 2017 film, God’s Own Country, took to Twitter asking viewers to refrain from watching his gay love story on Amazon saying the intimate sex scenes had been deleted. The film, which depicts a sensitive love story between a UK sheep farmer (Josh O’Connor) and a Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secăreanu), was praised by critics for “combining gritty realism with poignancy” resulting in a film that is “exceptionally moving.” The film scored the World Cinema Directing Award at Sundance 2017 in addition to awards at such prestigious film festivals like the Chicago International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. At the British Independent Film Awards in December 2017, the film took home honors for Best British independent film, Best Actor for Josh O’Connor, and Best Debut Screenwriter for Francis Lee, who also directed. Additionally, God’s Own Country also scored a nod for Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards in January 2019. On the film site Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a rating of “98% Fresh.” But on Tuesday, Lee was understandably upset at learning his efforts had been censored. “Dear Friends in USA,” tweeted director Francis Lee on Tuesday. “God’s Own Country appears to have been censored on Amazon Prime. Until this is investigated please do not rent or buy on Amazon Prime. It is not the film I intended or made. I will report back.”
Dear friends in USA, God’s Own Country appears to have been censored on @PrimeVideo (Amazon Prime). Until this is investigated please do not rent or buy on Amazon Prime. It is not the film I intended or made. I will report back ❤️
But the next day, Lee returned to Twitter having discovered the edited version of his film was the work of the U.S. distributor Goldwyn Films. Apparently, due to the film’s graphic sex scenes, the distributor had excised those without consulting its creator for viewers on Amazon Prime Video Direct. Lee noted the full, uncensored version was still available for rent on Amazon. “Dear USA friends, after investigation God’s Own Country was not censored by Prime Video but by the US distributor Goldwyn Films, who butchered the streaming version without consultation to get more ‘revenue.’ Prime Video were incredibly supportive in rectifying.”
The rental version of God’s Own Country on @PrimeVideo is the correct version of my film. I would like to thank Amazon Prime for being supportive and I would caution any film maker of working with the aforementioned ‘distributor’. Thank you EVERYONE for all your support ❤️
The popular thinking seems to be the graphic sex scenes might have led Amazon to raise the age rating of viewers, which would have reduced the viewership of the movie. Fans of the film noted on social media two scenes had been cut. In one, the two lead characters Johnny and Gheorghe engage in oral sex after wrestling on the ground; and in the second, the duo has sex in a cattle trailer. The censored version on Prime Video Direct is no longer available. “The rental version of God’s Own Country on Prime Video is the correct version of my film,” added Lee in a subsequent tweet. “I would like to thank Amazon Prime for being supportive and I would caution any filmmaker of working with the aforementioned ‘distributor’. Thank you EVERYONE for all your support.” In 2018, I named God’s Own Country the Top LGBTQ Movie of the 2010s. And in December 2019, The Advocate celebrated the film as one of the Top 30 LGBTQ Films of the Decade. “The film is a beautiful, visceral, and at times violent depiction of how self-hate, societal stigma, and prejudice can complicate queer love,” wrote the editors. “Its themes resonate profoundly in a world where fear is threatening to close borders and reject outsiders.” If you haven’t seen God’s Own Country, you should. The official synopsis for the film reads:
Johnny Saxby works long hours in brutal isolation on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. When a handsome Romanian migrant worker arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself having to deal with emotions he has never felt before. An intense relationship forms between the two which could change Johnny’s life forever.
In a series of tweets today, Donald Trump called out conservative news channel Fox News for “doing nothing” to help his re-election bid this fall. “Many will disagree, but Fox News is doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected on November 3rd,” Trump tweeted. “Sure, there are some truly GREAT people on Fox, but you also have some real ‘garbage’ littered all over the network, people like Dummy Juan Williams, Schumerite Chris Hahn, Richard Goodstein, Donna Brazile, Niel Cavuto, and many others,” he continued. “They repeat the worst of the Democrat speaking points, and lies. All of the good is totally nullified, and more. Net Result = BAD! CNN & MSDNC are all in for the Do Nothing Democrats! Fox WAS Great!”
….Hahn, Richard Goodstein, Donna Brazile, Niel Cavuto, and many others. They repeat the worst of the Democrat speaking points, and lies. All of the good is totally nullified, and more. Net Result = BAD! CNN & MSDNC are all in for the Do Nothing Democrats! Fox WAS Great!
Considering the news network has been extremely pro-Trump during his administration, the virtual backhand was something of a surprise. Among others, former Republican lawmaker Joe Walsh called Trump out for “whining” and tagged Fox News hosts asking if it’s their job to get Trump re-elected. “The biggest crybaby in the history of this planet whines that Fox News isn’t helping him get re-elected. What say you Bret Baier? Is that your job? To help get Trump re-elected? What say you @ Fox News Sunday? Chris Wallace? What say you Dana Perino? Brit Hume?”
Also in TrumpLand today, the Donald offered this word salad when asked about his most recent test for coronavirus: “I tested very positively, in another sense, this morning. I tested positively toward negative, right? No, I tested perfectly this morning — meaning I tested negative. But that’s a way of saying it: positively toward the negative.” America, I give you – the president of the United States.
Pres. Trump on his coronavirus test today: "I tested very positively, in another sense, this morning. I tested positively toward negative, right? No, I tested perfectly this morning — meaning I tested negative. But that's a way of saying it: positively toward the negative." pic.twitter.com/Jylltw0JXs
In advance of Pride month, Pixar Studios has released an adorable animated short film that tells the tale of a young man coming out to his parents. The nine-minute short, titled Out, is the story of Greg who is getting ready to move in with his boyfriend Manuel. The film’s conflict? Greg hasn’t come out to his family. While packing to move, his parents unexpectedly show up to help. Aided by his trusty fairy god-pets, Greg has to figure out how to handle THE moment. The short is written and directed by Steven Clay Hunter, a longtime animator for Pixar whose past credits include A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, and The Incredibles. While there have been queer characters in supporting roles in past Disney projects, this is apparently the first time a gay character has taken the lead in a Mouse House release. Longtime readers know that, due to my short attention span, I’m a fan of short-form content 🙂 You can check out the super-cute teaser below. The full nine-minute short is currently streaming on Disney+. 
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 
