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‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!’ Announces Las Vegas Residency

All tea, no shade! Some of the most famous drag queens in the world are taking over the Las Vegas Strip when RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! hits the stage at Flamingo Las Vegas in early 2020. From the creative team behind the Emmy Award-winning series RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! will be the most sickening eleganza extravaganza in Las Vegas herstory. The revue is everything you love about the TV show and then some. “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! is an immersive, interactive thrill-ride for everyone who loves to laugh, dance and sing-along when a fabulous drag queen shakes her padded ass on stage,” said RuPaul. Each live performance is packed with outrageous comedy, eye-popping fashions, over-the-top singing and dancing, heartwarming moments, plus twists and turns that will leave the audience “gagging” for more. The atmosphere of the show is interactive and encourages audience members’ participation, as if they were attending a live episode of the world-famous competition. Directed by RuPaul and award-winning choreographer and filmmaker Jamal Sims (Aladdin, Step Up, When The Beat Drops), RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! is produced by World of Wonder, the creative team behind RuPaul’s Drag Race, with Voss Events. The show will feature RuPaul’s hit songs from the past 11 seasons of Drag Race, plus original show-stopping numbers created especially for this residency. Seven queens will be featured in each show from a rotating cast of Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Coco Montrese, Derrick Barry, Eureka O’Hara, India Ferrah, Kahanna Montrese, Kameron Michaels, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Shannel and Yvie Oddly. Presale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. PT at rupaulsdragracelive.com, and fans can sign up for access beginning today. WOW and Voss Events subscribers will also receive presale access by email. Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment’s loyalty program, as well as Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will also have access to a presale beginning Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. PT. RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! will perform Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 p.m. starting in January 2020. Tickets starting at $49, plus applicable tax and fees, go on sale to the public beginning Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. PT. For more information and a complete show schedule, please visit ticketmaster.com/dragracevegas. (via press release)

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‘The Blond One’ Explores Visceral Attraction Amid Latin Machismo

With five acclaimed indie features under his belt, Argentine director/writer Marco Berger (Taekwondo, Plan B, Hawaii) delivers his latest exploration of the male psyche, The Blond One. The film, which premiered at Sydney’s Mardi Gras Film Festival in February and took home the prize for Best LGBTQ Film at the Molodist International Film Festival, is a testament to the power of understated performances and confidently relies on artful silences between the two protagonists. Set in Buenos Aires, Gabriel (Gastón Re) and Juan (Alfonso Barón) are coworkers who find themselves roommates when Juan invites Gabriel to rent a spare bedroom in his flat. One furtive glance leads to another, a brush of a hand here or there, and even though Juan’s multiple girlfriends casually come and go, the attraction between the two men is palpable. Of course, this leads to a physical connection, but both men then have to search themselves for what this means. Latin machismo battles with visceral sexual attraction as the film circles around latent romantic possibilities.

Juan, apparently bisexual, finds the need to put walls up and delineate roles by offering macho statements like, “Don’t make me explain myself like you were my girlfriend,” to a puppy dog-eyed Gabriel. Gabriel, the sensitive, single father (the mother of his daughter passed away some time ago) who seems to quietly identify as gay, finds himself looking for an emotional anchor. Whether or not that ends up to be Juan, you’ll have to check out the film to find out. The subtle, heartfelt performances – brimming with sexual tension – are intimate, honest and emotionally raw. The Blond One opens today in Los Angeles for a weeklong run at the Laemmle Music Hall with home video release to follow. In Spanish with English subtitles – running time 111 minutes. Rating: 5 stars – highly recommended (all photos courtesy of TLA Releasing)

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News Round-Up: September 6, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Dan Tai is heading to America next on his travels – presumably to put in place a Randy Report restraining order. 🙂 • The Guardian: Vice President Mike Pence was greeted by several rainbow flag displays this week as he landed in Reykjavik to meet with President Guðni Jóhannesson of Iceland. • KIT212: Click here for a round-up of what’s making news in LGBTQ publications around the country. • CNN: Major retailers have announced this week that they will respectfully ask customers not to openly carry guns into their stores in states where open carry is legal. Walgreens, CVS, and Wegmans announced the new policy Thursday afternoon, following announcements from Walmart and Kroger on Wednesday.  

• Washington Post: State and federal health officials investigating mysterious lung illnesses, which have caused two deaths and over 200 serious illnesses, linked to vaping. A chemical derived from vitamin E was found in samples of marijuana products used by people sickened in different parts of the country. In short – stop vaping, people are dying. • Politico: Four states are poised to cancel their 2020 GOP presidential primaries and caucuses, a move that would cut off oxygen to Donald Trump’s long-shot primary challengers. Republican parties in South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas are expected to finalize the cancellations in meetings this weekend. • Towleroad: After recording a video for the virulently anti-LGBTQ group Focus on the Family, New Orleans’ Saints quarterback Drew Brees became defensive when called out for working with the organization which has opposed marriage equality, called transgender people ‘mentally ill,’ and advocates legalizing discrimination against gays. Brees eventually apologized claiming ignorance of the group’s anti-LGBTQ lobbying efforts. • The Daily Beast: Influential progressive news site ThinkProgress, which rose to prominence during the Bush administration and helped define progressivism during the Obama years, is shutting down. #SadDay • New Music: Randy Report favorite Mika drops his latest single, “Sanremo,” from his upcoming album My Name Is Michael Holbrook due out October 4. The breezy, sunbaked groove is perfect for that chill, end of summer vibe. Smooth. Hit play below.

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The #SharpieGate Memes Are Everything You Could Wish For

Earlier this week, Donald Trump created yet another mess for himself when he tweeted that the state of Alabama was in danger of being hit by Hurricane Dorian.  

Turns out that was not the case. In fact, the National Weather Service immediately followed Trump’s tweet with its own rebuking the idea that Alabama would be affected by the storm:  

Five maps and nine tweets later, the Trumpster still cannot let it go. CNN reported yesterday that Trump called Fox News reporter John Roberts into the Oval Office to make clear he was ‘right’ from the beginning. Jesus, man, let it go. Today, the Washington Post reports that it was Trump who marked up the map with a Sharpie marker. Did anyone ever doubt otherwise? With all of that in mind, on to the memes: https://www.instagram.com/p/B2EqXsqBPBX/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ETJPGg-Aa/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2EwP19FdMd/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2EUB7IFAHi/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Ev6x0nAlR/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2EsCtXF6VB/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Dg7N1Jkk_/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B2DenyFnPWr/  

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Pete Buttigieg Ramps Up Spending, Releases 1st TV Ad

Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released his first campaign ad with a substantial $210,000 media buy in Iowa where the first votes of the 2020 election cycle will be cast. The ad, titled ‘The Only Way,’ focuses on Buttigieg’s experience as a mayor and military veteran. “As a veteran and as a mayor, I’ve seen what we can achieve when we have each other’s backs,” begins the 30-second spot. “But in today’s divided America, we’re at each others throats.” “Our rivers and oceans are rising. Health care costs are soaring, and our kids are learning active shooter drills before they learn to read,” Buttigieg says speaking to the camera. “To meet these challenges and to defeat this president, we need real solutions, not more polarization.”

The Buttigieg campaign has also recently opened 20 field offices in Iowa and hired an additional 30 staffers in the Hawkeye state, according to Politico. The spending comes after Buttigieg raised more than any other Democratic White House candidate last quarter raking in over $24 million. The aggressive moves will enthuse Mayor Pete’s supporters and will hopefully move him up in the polls. Despite positive debate reviews and much interest in the mainstream media, the 37-year-old is consistently ranked 5th in most national polling. RealClearPolitics currently shows Buttigieg averaging about 4.4%. In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, the South Bend Mayor explained how he plans to make inroads among the Democratic candidates as the field narrows: “Now that it’s starting to winnow down, people are starting to look for the contrasts. And it will be important for me to convey how I’m different from the others. I like the others, I appreciate the others, I admire the others but I’m not like the others. It’s not just a matter of style, it’s also a matter of approach.” “It’s why I’m not making the same promises that some of the candidates to my left are. I share the goals and believe that we can do it in a way that will bring Americans together.”

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130,000 Jobs Added In August, Prior Months Revised Down 20K

According to the latest jobs report released by the Labor Department Friday, 130,000 jobs were added to the economy in August, missing expectations. NPR reports experts had predicted job gains of nearly 158,000. The report could have been worse if the federal government hadn’t hired 25,000 temporary workers in anticipation for the 2020 Census. The numbers show the factory sector shrank last month for the first time in three years. CNBC notes that private sector hiring was up by only 96,000, the lowest pace since February. Additionally, job gains in June and July were adjusted downward by 20,000. The national unemployment rate held steady at 3.7%.

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PEOPLE Names Billy Porter One Of The ‘Best Dressed Of 2019’

Chalk up another title added to POSEstar Billy Porter’s list of accomplishments: the Tony Award-winner has been named one of  PEOPLE’s Best Dressed of 2019. And for so many reasons. The red carpet ninja killed it throughout the recent awards season. From his stunning Christian Sirano designed black velvet tuxedo ball gown worn to the Oscars; to his embroidered suit complete with pink-lined cape at the Golden Globes; to his ‘Sun God’ inspired fashion for this year’s Met Gala; and his glorious hot pink/red Celestine Couture ball gown for the Tony Awards, Mr. Porter is just beginning to own his fashion statements. https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSF3dEl_e0/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsjd6p6FVDd/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJbaXfFerw/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bygz46zjuNF/ “As a man, I really want to make a different kind of statement and show up in a way that could also be transformative, that could also be political,” Porter told PEOPLE. “My goal was to be a walking piece of political art. When I show up that’s what my goal is. Put a man in a dress and it’s controversial, doesn’t make any sense, but okay. Let’s keep having this conversation until we can change something.” It wasn’t until he began working on his groundbreaking FX series POSE that he “realized how gender fluid” his fashion instincts had been. “It kind of cracked my brain open and helped me get to a different space and understanding about myself,” said the 49-year-old actor. “The dilemmas I was putting on myself, even just about what I can wear, what was acceptable, what was masculine enough, what was acceptable.” Porter also noted that he’s not the only public figure exploring gender-fluid fashion like Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness and Grammy Award-winner Sam Smith. “There’s a few of us trying to do it. But I think it’s really transforming something,” opined Porter. “It’s really making a difference. I’m seeing more and more men playing in that way.” With his historic Emmy Award nomination for his work on POSE as ‘Best Actor in a Drama,’ Porter advises we all stay tuned for his upcoming look. “It’ll be a fashion moment,” he assures. “I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s going to be a moment. It has to be a moment now! I’ve created something where I have to show up, it has to be a moment. I don’t know if it’s going to be a dress or anything like that but we’ll see.” Congratulations to Billy for blazing his own trail and showing folks we don’t have to fit into someone else’s mold. Here are a few more fashion statements by the Grammy Award winner. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByMEAeVFTmI/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BtXKpFElm6t/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BzVpkQHFLJu/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt96EvzlJ4K/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxYi7qFOS-/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B17TvFbltiH/

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CNN To Air Democratic LGBTQ Town Hall

Democratic White House candidates will take part in a presidential town hall focusing entirely on LGBTQ issues on October 10 at The Novo in Los Angeles. Hosted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the televised event will air live on CNN and CNN en Español, across mobile devices via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android. Organizers expect to draw the largest-ever audience for an LGBTQ Democratic town hall. Plus, the event will be the first-ever LGBTQ presidential event aired by a major cable news network. The historic town hall event, titled Power of Our Pride, is scheduled to take place the night before the 31st National Coming Out Day. Since 1988, NCOD has celebrated the power, and empowerment, of coming out. The HRC says all candidates who qualify for the October round of Democratic primary debates will be allowed to participate. The list of Democratic candidates (so far) who have confirmed their attendance include former Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary Julian Castro, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Expect to hear much from the candidates on the catastrophic effects the Trump/Pence administration has had on the LGBTQ community like banning transgender Americans from serving in the military, rolling back Obama-era nondiscrimination protections, prohibiting embassies from flying rainbow flags during Pride Month and more. All of the current Democratic contenders have announced their support for The Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing civil rights laws. `“For nearly 40 years, the Human Rights Campaign has fought to realize a world in which LGBTQ people are safe, equal and free in every aspect of our lives,” said HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement. “Today, at a time when our most basic civil rights and democratic values are under attack, our work has never been more urgent.” “We are eager to hear from this field of Democratic presidential candidates about how they plan to win full federal equality, defend the fundamental equality of LGBTQ people, and protect the most vulnerable among us — both here in the United States and around the globe — from stigma, institutional inequality, discrimination, and violence,” he added. For more information, click over to the HRC here. In related news, GLAAD has partnered with One Iowa, The Gazette and The Advocate for an upcoming presidential candidate forum on LGBTQ issues to take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on September 20. That event will be live-streamed through GLAAD’s social media and digital channels. Confirmed participating candidates include Former Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, former Pennsylvania representative Joe Sestak, author Marianne Williamson and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).

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Buttigieg On #SharpieGate: “I Feel Sorry For The President”

Democratic White House hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked about Donald Trump’s #SharpieGate incident where he had appeared to have drawn a circle on a National Weather Services map to include the state of Alabama as a possible Hurrican Dorian target. “I feel sorry for the president, and that is not the way we should feel about the most powerful figure in this country,” said Buttigieg. “Somebody on whose wisdom and judgment our lives literally depend. I don’t know who felt it necessary to pull out a sharpie and change the map. “I don’t know if it was one of his aides believed they had to do that to protect his ego. No matter how you cut it, this is unbelievably sad state of affairs for our country. If our presidency is not in good shape, then our country is not in good shape. “On one level it’s laughable, on another it is exactly why we’ve got to do something different.”

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World’s Chillest Man Sips Beer During Armed Robbery

St. Louis resident Tony Tovar is being called the “World’s Chillest Man” after video footage of him calming sitting through a bar robbery went viral. According to NBC News, Tovar was having a beer at Behrmann’s Tavern on August 28 when an armed robber entered the establishment demanding the patrons get down on the ground and hand over their valuables. Tovar, however, sat on his barstool and calmly sipped his beer while the gunman moved around the watering hole. In surveillance footage, you can see the robber press his gun into Tovar’s arm. But the “World’s Chillest Man” just lits up a cigarette. Tovar later said, “I just had a really good feeling he wasn’t out to harm anybody.” Watch the Chill One in the report below.