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Pro Ice Hockey Player Comes Out As Bisexual

Zach Sullivan (center) with Manchester Storm teammates (image via Twitter)
Professional ice hockey player Zach Sullivan of the Manchester Storm came out as bisexual this weekend. As the Elite Ice Hockey League held its first official Pride weekend promoting diversity and inclusivity in the sport, Sullivan took to his social media to share his message.

“I have battled with mental health problems over this issue and with the support, understanding and acceptance from my family, friends and teammates, I finally feel ready to say: I’m bisexual,” wrote the 25-year-old athlete. He added he has “never been more proud to wear a jersey before, especially one that celebrates all gender identities and sexualities.” The responses on social media were overwhelmingly positive. Not only from his fans, but his team, the Elite Ice Hockey League, and more. Ryan Finnerty, head coach for the Manchester Storm, tweeted his support writing, “His strength and courage will inspire the youth of tomorrow.”

Sullivan told the BBC’s Radio Manchester that while his sport is hyper-masculine he realized he had “quite the opportunity with it being the first-ever EIHL Pride weekend.” He also shared his hope that if he can come out “maybe it will help someone who is going through the same problem, going through the same situation.” Congrats, Zach, on living out loud!

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Lil Nas X And Other LGBTQ Artists Score At The 62nd Grammy Awards

Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, Lizzo at 62nd Grammy Awards (image via Instagram/lilnasx)
It was a great night for LGBTQ artists and allies at the 62nd Grammy Awards Sunday night. Several out artists picked up awards including: Lil Nas X scored two trophies – Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his mega-hit “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus. The country rapper performed the song with all the artists who had been featured on “Old Town Road” remixes last year including BTS, Diplo, Mason Ramsey, and Cyrus.

Brandi Carlile, who came out in 2002, took home a Grammy as one of the songwriters of Tanya Tucker’s “Bring My Flowers Now” in the Best Country Song category. She also appeared in the broadcast performing the song with Tucker. DJ Tracy Young made history as the first woman and the first lesbian to win for Best Remixed Recording for her remix of Madonna’s “I Rise.” LGBTQ allies also had major moments throughout the night. Lady Gaga picked up Grammys in two categories – Best Song for Visual Media (“I’ll Never Love Again”) from the A Star Is Born soundtrack and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Billie Eilish won in four big categories – Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Lizzo, the most nominated artist of the night with 8 nods, picked up trophies for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Truth Hurts”), Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Jerome”) and Best Urban Contemporary Album (Cuz I Love You). And there were performances that stole the show. Out singer Demi Lovato had one of the night’s most talked-about moments as she delivered a powerful performance of her song “Anyone.” The song immediately went to #1 on iTunes after the performance.

Pop diva and ally Ariana Grande, who didn’t go home with a Grammy, was a knockout performing a three-song medley of “Imagine,” “7 Rings,” and “Thank U, Next.”

Special shout-out to Darrion Gallegos, the male dancer in her corp who lived his best life dancing it out in heels and short shorts along with the other dancers. Back in December, as Grande’s tour came to an end, he thanked the powers that be for letting him “gender-bend the fak out of this” and contribute his part for the LGBTQIA+ community.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an awards show without a red carpet and Billy Porter delivering the goods:

Lil Nas X didn’t disappoint, though, serving up a hot pink Versace cowboy suit complete with double-choker harness:

Anthony Ramos, GLAAD’s Head of Talent, spoke to Jojo, Rosalia, Victoria Monét, and Bebe Rexha about LGBTQ inclusion and the changing landscape of music:

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National Security Adviser: Trump Tied Military Aid To Ukraine To Biden Investigations

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton (image via White House - public domain)

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaking to the press in May 2019 (image via White House – public domain)
This seriously undercuts the position of Donald Trump’s legal defense team. I think it’s safe to say Bolton HAS to testify at Trump’s impeachment trial. From the New York Times:

President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.

The president’s statement as described by Mr. Bolton could undercut a key element of his impeachment defense: that the holdup in aid was separate from Mr. Trump’s requests that Ukraine announce investigations into his perceived enemies, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter Biden, who had worked for a Ukrainian energy firm while his father was in office.

Mr. Bolton’s explosive account of the matter at the center of Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, the third in American history, was included in drafts of a manuscript he has circulated in recent weeks to close associates.

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Lil Nas X Wins Grammy Award For ‘Best Music Video’

Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X won the first award presented today at the Grammy Awards as he and Billy Ray Cyrus scored for Best Music Video for “Old Town Road” marking his first win of the evening and his first win ever. “THANK U TO EVERYBODY!! I AM NOW GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTIST LIL NAS X !!!” he shared on Twitter. He also shared a thank you on Instagram, posting a snippet of the modern-day Western video and writing “GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTIST LIL NAS X!!!!” Shortly after that, the artist removed the social media posts out of respect for the loss of Koba Bryant. Billboard reports:

Lil Nas could be a six-time Grammy winner by the end of the night, as he’s one of this year’s most-nominated artists with six nods. “Old Town Road” is also up for record of the year and best pop duo/group performance, “Panini” is up for best rap/sung performance, 7 is up for album of the year, and Lil Nas X is up for best new artist.

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40 Years Later, Gloria Gaynor Honored With 2nd Grammy Award

Gloria Gaynor (photo: Flickr/TJStamp – CC License)
Forty years after receiving the only Grammy Award ever issued in the category for Best Disco Recording (the iconic “I Will Survive”), legendary diva Gloria Gaynor was honored with her second GRAMMY® Award win on Sunday night. Gaynor received a Best Roots Gospel Album GRAMMY for Testimony, her powerful new gospel album, as well as a Best Gospel Performance/Song Nomination for “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus,” a stirring gospel track featuring Yolanda Adams. Since its release last summer, Testimony has been drawing praise for its collection of original inspirational songs and soulful hymns – from Gaynor’s powerful take on “Amazing Grace” to “Man of Peace,” her cover of the Bob Dylan classic. “I am ecstatic and truly grateful to God for gifts and favor, to the Academy for this recognition and honor and to the Gaithers, Primary Wave and ‘Team Gaynor’ for their love, support, and expertise,” said Gaynor. “We are honored to represent this gospel release from Gloria,” stated Paul Sizelove, president of the label. “Not only did she make a stellar recording, she created a work of art that celebrated her journey of faith through trials and triumphs. It has been a joy to partner with her and her team to share these songs with the world.” In 2015, Gaynor was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Award for the audio recording of her motivational book We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement. (source: press release)

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Fox News Poll Shows 50% Support Removing Trump From Office

A new poll by Fox News shows 55% of those polled approve of the current economy (44% say it’s only ‘fair’), but 50% say the Senate should vote to remove Donald Trump from the Oval Office. Even with the strong economy, the new survey says 56% are not satisfied with the direction of the country versus 43% who approve. And by a 50-44 percent margin, respondents say the Senate should vote to convict Trump and remove him from office. Remember, this a Fox News poll, folks. While the majority of responses fall on partisan lines – 81% of Democrats say remove and 84% of Republicans disagree – among independents, the results are starker as 53% of those say Trump should be removed versus 34% who disagree. This is now the third major national poll released this week to show support for removing Trump from office at 50% or higher – 51% in CNN’s poll and Pew’s polling, 50% in the Fox poll.

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NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant Killed In Helicopter Crash

Kobe Bryant (screen capture)
Local 10 News reports former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 41, has died in a helicopter crash in California. Five people were reportedly on board the helicopter when a fire apparenlty broke out causing the aircraft to go down down near Calabasas this morning. From Local 10 News:

He played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and finished his career as one of the best to ever play the game.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was drafted into the NBA straight out of high school at the age of 17.

He retired in 2016 a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP and the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.

Bryant was selected to an NBA record 18 consecutive NBA All-Star Games. He also won two gold medals while representing the USA in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

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SNL Cold Open: Trump Lawyer Alan Dershowitz Goes To Hell

L-R Jon Lovitz, Kate McKinnon
When Donald Trump’s attorney Alan Dershowitz (Jon Lovitz) gives Senator Mitch McConnell (Beck Bennett) and Senator Susan Collins (Cecily Strong) a preview of his impeachment defense, he ends up having a heart attack and going to hell where he encounters the Devil (Kate McKinnon) along with Jeffrey Epstein (guest host Adam Driver), Flo from the Progressive commercials, the guy who wrote the “Baby Shark” song, and Mr. Peanut, who was recently killed off for a Super Bowl ad.

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Trump Threatens Schiff: ‘He Has Not Paid The Price, Yet’

Prior to House Intelligence Committee Chairman and lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff’s appearance on NBC News’ Meet The Press this morning, Donald Trump took to Twitter to rant (and threaten?) Schiff. From NBC News:

President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., will pay a “price” for his role in the impeachment saga. “Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man,” Trump tweeted. “He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!”

The president posted those comments after writing earlier Sunday that his impeachment “is a massive election interference the likes of which has never been seen before.”

Speaking with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager, said he thought Trump’s tweet is “intended to be” a threat to him. Trump responded later Sunday by calling Schiff a “conman.”

Here’s Schiff’s full appearance on Meet The Press this morning:

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Highlights: Ramin Karimloo & Samantha Barks in CHESS

Ramin Karimloo and Samantha Barks in CHESS
Ramin Karimloo and Samantha Barks star in CHESS in Osaka. #perfection
Samantha Barks sings ‘Nobody’s Side’ in CHESS
I loved working with Samantha in CHICAGO in LA at the Hollywood Bowl. What a knockout talent! And the most down-to-earth person you’d ever want to meet. And Ramin is, well, Ramin. It’s a proven impossibility for me to listen to him sing anything just once. The cast also features Luke Walsh and Takanori Sato.
Ramin Karimloo sings ‘Anthem’ in CHESS
I have a slight obsession with this musical. I saw the original production in London starring Elaine Paige and Tommy Körberg, both of whom delivered gorgeous performances. That production ran three years. The Broadway production fared less well as Trevor Nunn attempted to ‘fix’ the show. And he fixed it into a flop. But the gorgeous score remained including a new song for the leadling lady Florence in the form of “Someone Else’s Story.” Tony Award nominee John Herrera starred in the first U.S. national touring company along with Carolee Carmello and Stephen Bogardus (I can’t believe I know them all) which attempted to re-fix the show again. Part of the problem with the show was it was written during the Cold War with Russia. As the world moved past that political impasse, it’s now hard to make that aspect of the story play. If you head over to Wikipedia, there’s an extensive breakdown of the history of the show and the many attempts to bring it to the level of success so many of us want to see. In any case, the score (by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus) remains a glorious thing. Lucky Osaka… For now, we have this: