LGBTQ news and entertainment
There is simply no way I can flip through Instagram without stopping to appreciate the ridiculously photogenic dog-lover, Steve_In_LA. So, let’s just take a moment, shall we? Happy Monday everyone! https://www.instagram.com/p/Byg8IbsBcQ4/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BlMxjqQgarc/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5gNGNgfMH/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BtmEiQqnwGr/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJZZDcHVaG/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BtKDOG8HhyP/
Members of the so-called ‘Straight Pride Coalition’ in Modesto, California, found themselves outnumbered by counter-protesters when the group staged a demonstration in front of a Planned Parenthood. According to local NBC News affiliate KCRA, the Straight Pride crowd of 20 participants – holding signs in support of Donald Trump and his policies – was soon faced with over 200 counter-protesters. 
From KCRA:
Don Grundmann, the coalition’s director, said the group believes that “the LGBT community is trying to destroy America by destroying the culture.”
“Straight culture is under attack. I’ll call it normal, natural, healthy, sane is under attack, and we’re going to illustrate that in the election cycle upcoming,” Grundman said. “We’re going to illustrate our point, and we’re going to bring sanity back to the nation.”
In the lead-up to the demonstration, more than 100 members of the LGBTQ community and their supporters joined together at Enslen Park to counter the coalition’s message.
“I want to celebrate each and every ally,” James Varble said into a microphone before those in attendance.
“This is all of Modesto and a big part of the valley coming together for us to say we’re not going to stand for bigotry. We’re not going to stand for hate. We’re going to look after each other, and we’re going to embrace each other,” he said.
The counter-protesters then made their way from Enslen Park to the straight pride demonstration, where they faced down the coalition chanting, “No hate, no fear. Straight pride is not welcome here.”
(images via screen capture/KCRA)
Axios is reporting that Donald Trump (above) has suggested on more than one occasion to national security officials that the U.S. bomb hurricanes with nuclear weapons.
During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, “I got it. I got it. Why don’t we nuke them?” according to one source who was there.
“They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they’re moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can’t we do that?” the source added, paraphrasing the president’s remarks.
Asked how the briefer reacted, the source recalled he said something to the effect of, “Sir, we’ll look into that.”
Trump replied by asking incredulously how many hurricanes the U.S. could handle and reiterating his suggestion that the government intervene before they make landfall.
The briefer “was knocked back on his heels,” the source in the room added. “You could hear a gnat fart in that meeting. People were astonished. After the meeting ended, we thought, ‘What the f—? What do we do with this?'”
Axios’s Jonathan Swan notes the concept of bombing hurricanes isn’t a ‘Trump original,’ as the question has been raised before going back as far as the Eisenhower administration. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have published a fact sheet which addresses the flawed idea. One issue the researchers mention, among many, is radiation fallout. From the fact sheet: “Apart from the fact that this might not even alter the storm, this approach neglects the problem that the released radioactive fallout would fairly quickly move with the tradewinds to affect land areas and cause devastating environmental problems.” The Trumpster denied suggesting such things it on Twitter, so that pretty much confirms he said it. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1165918301932916736?s=21
Trump is stone cold sober but all his ideas sound like something you come up with when you’re super high:
– we should just nuke the hurricanes – how much would it cost to buy Greenland – hear me out: SPACE FORCE – fuck it let’s order 600 burgers pic.twitter.com/sCfPb5B2oi — Dan Amira (@DanAmira) August 26, 2019
Trump wants to nuke hurricanes. I repeat: the president thinks it’d be a great idea to drop nuclear bombs into hurricanes. #NotTheOnion
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) August 25, 2019
Trump: I hear voices and they tell me to buy Greenland and lob nukes at hurricanes Sane People: I am worried that the President is a loon Media: *reports that Sane People are concerned* Trumpers: Why are the media manufacturing this false narrative about Trump’s sanity
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 26, 2019
Again, if we didn’t elect Trump to annex things like Greenland, or nuke hurricanes, then what are we even doing this for?
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 25, 2019
CNN’s John Berman sits down with Randy Report favorite Randy Rainbow (yep, that’s his real name) to chat on his meteoric rise as political parody satirist. Randy’s career took off during the 2016 presidential campaign when his satirical take on the first Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump debate garnered over 20 million views in two days on Facebook alone. He’s now nominated for an Emmy Award and touring the country performing live concerts.
Here’s the video that began Randy’s triumphant run as Political Satirist in Chief plus his Emmy nominated “Barr:”
Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. of TheOUTFront.com For three decades, BroadwayCares/EquityFightsAIDS has been at the forefront of the entertainment industry’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic raising over $300 million and supporting more than 450 health organizations. During that time, Disney Theatrical Productions arrived on Broadway becoming a leading player and champion in their vital work raising more than $18M for the nonprofit. Nine Broadway productions later, Disney and BC/EFA will share the stage of the New Amsterdam Theatre for one night only, on November 4th at 8 pm “Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway.” The benefit concert, produced in partnership with Disney Theatrical Productions, will feature beloved songs from Aida, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Newsies, Tarzan and a few surprises along the way. This unforgettable evening is set to feature a star-studded lineup of Broadway favorites to be announced in the coming weeks. 
From the BC/EFA website, Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions and executive vice president of Broadway Cares’ Board of Trustees is quoted,
“Broadway Cares rose from a time of crisis and need to become an essential part of the Broadway landscape. It would be hard to imagine our community without the essential resource that is Broadway Cares.
“Direct support to The Actors Fund as well as an extraordinary array of grants to service organizations here at home, around the country and as far away as South Africa, is only possible because of the extraordinary efforts of Broadway Cares working side by side with theatre professionals throughout the Broadway community.
“This special evening allows our Disney on Broadway family to both express our deep thanks and to raise much-needed funds for Broadway Cares.”
Individual tickets start at $100. VIP tickets include a post-performance reception with the stars. The Backstage & Beyond package offers exclusive dress rehearsal access on the day of the show, a backstage tour, dinner with members of the company and the post-performance reception. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Purchase tickets HERE Support BC/EFA’s life-changing and lifesaving work HERE Here are just a few of our favorite moments from 25 years of Disney on Broadway! From the show that started it all, the OG Beast, Terrence Mann sings “If I Can’t Love Her” from Beauty and the Beast: https://youtu.be/J7SkaANlNnI You know we love a strong black woman who can sang, and Heather Headley’s Tony Award-winning star turn in Aida is a throw down. https://youtu.be/RcgqkqWP_Jo Still the pride of Broadway after 22 years, The Lion King has been described “like being in a dream awake.” But audiences don’t get to see the breathtaking, “Circle of Life” in a full 360 experience like this. Goosebumps: Standby Goosebumps: GO https://youtu.be/7T57kzGQGto
Checking in with our favorite InstaHunks this weekend… Hunky actor BJ Gruber (above) got his CrossFit workout done and done. #sweat Mario Hervas was a man in motion: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WYyEKCk2-/ Dan Tai is content with just a beach and coconuts: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jLCrOlMRU/ ABC news guy Gio Benitez and model hubby Tommy Didario had a movie date night checking out Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1kLCSTFt8k/ Bodybuilder Bremen Menelli is celebrating bulking season: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1kCRSjAUGb/ Austin Wolf got in one last workout here in Barcelona before joining me on Atlantis Cruise’s Mediterranean cruise. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jljlKDVk-/ NYC real estate guy Brett Miles had to work this weekend (as a Realtor myself, I feel your pain, Brett): https://www.instagram.com/p/B1grqCvgcmw/ Max Emerson went camping in Yosemite National Park (funny, I’ve always called this something else…): https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jZnJdgfbP/ And fitness guru Ramses Principe waxed philosophical about learning from failure: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jbTSRHTHd/
UPI reports that the Newman family of Pennsylvania discovered home security camera footage of a bear exploring their porch and ultimately stealing a box of dog food from mail-order company Chewy. After sharing the footage with Chewy, which is operated by PetSmart, the company offered to send a replacement box of dog food.
Calling Mr. Trump ‘completely unfit,’ former Congressman Joe Walsh, a conservative radio host, says he will launch a television-centric strategy to try to rattle a media-obsessed president. Walsh announced his candidacy during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1165613529455562752 https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1165618693386244097 From the New York Times:
“We’ve got a guy in the White House who is unfit, completely unfit, to be president and it stuns me that nobody stepped up,” Mr. Walsh said in announcing his candidacy, claiming that “everyone” in the Republican Party believes Mr. Trump is not fit for the job.
Mr. Walsh’s decision to announce his candidacy on television, aides said, is a preview of a television-centric strategy designed to rattle a television-focused president with a rare challenge from within the party.
Despite Mr. Walsh’s claim that many Republicans share his belief that Mr. Trump is unfit to serve, most polls show the president’s approval rating among Republican voters is consistently in the high 80s.
Mr. Walsh stands virtually no chance of wresting the Republican presidential nomination away from Mr. Trump. But he framed his long shot primary challenge as a moral imperative to offer an alternative to Mr. Trump, and said that he is jumping in because “somebody needs to step up.”
Donald Trump (above) raised eyebrows this week referring to himself as ‘the chosen one’ when answering questions from the press regarding the current trade war with China. Explaining his position that previous American presidents didn’t tackle China’s behavior when negotiating trade deals with Beijing, Trump said:
“President Clinton, President Bush, and President Obama and others should have done this long before me. My life would be much easier, although I enjoy doing it. But my life would be much easier if I just said, ‘Let China continue to rip off the United States.’ But I can’t do that.”
Finishing his thought, he looked up to the sky and said, “Somebody had to do it. I am the chosen one.” But on Saturday, Trump ranted on Twitter that he was just joking. “When I looked up to the sky and jokingly said ‘I am the chosen one,’ at a press conference two days ago, referring to taking on Trade with China, little did I realize that the media would claim that I had a ‘Messiah complex.’” he said in the tweet.
When I looked up to the sky and jokingly said “I am the chosen one,” at a press conference two days ago, referring to taking on Trade with China, little did I realize that the media would claim that I had a “Messiah complex.” They knew I was kidding, being sarcastic, and just….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2019
….having fun. I was smiling as I looked up and around. The MANY reporters with me were smiling also. They knew the TRUTH…And yet when I saw the reporting, CNN, MSNBC and other Fake News outlets covered it as serious news & me thinking of myself as the Messiah. No more trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2019
TRUMP: I don't have a messiah complex. Trust me, no one knows more about messiah complexes than me.
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) August 24, 2019
@realDonaldTrump Messiah complex or not? You decide… pic.twitter.com/rSNQyd8Nlo
— berealDonaldTrump (@berealDonTrump) August 24, 2019
Good Morning America co-host Lara Spencer stepped in it this week when reporting on Prince George as part of her Pop News segment. Talking about the young royal’s new school curriculum, she paused when she mentioned that he would be taking “ballet,” and then began to laugh at the idea that boys would study dance. As the studio audience continued laughing, Spencer added, “I’ve got news for you Prince William, we’ll see how long that lasts.”
Folks in the dance world, male and female, clapped back at Spencer laughing at the idea of boys/men dancing. Social media was soon flooded with comments from dance luminaries tagging Spencer to make sure she would see them. In case people think the following reactions might be overly-sensitive, I’d point out that if Spencer had mentioned a UK princess taking ballet, there would have been NO laughs, right? Broadway and television dance star Debbie Allen, who has championed the arts for young people for decades, spoke directly to the issue saying, “Lara Spencer – I am sure you did not expect your remarks to set off the firestorm that it has – but it did.” She added, “Poking fun at the dance world, and ballet and young boys – this just isn’t cool.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1hDs_Rhi2l/ Emmy Award-winning choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance alum Travis Wall posted a video as well saying, “Dear @lara.spencer of GOOD MORNING AMERICA. I have a message for you. Wake up. It’s 2019,” he wrote. “Get with the program. Please share and repost this so a boy who needs to see this feels supported if he dances or wants to!” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gjmZTBCxW/ Michael Dameski, from NBC’s World of Dance competition, posted this off-the-hook video clip tagging Spencer with the comment, “Still laughing?” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1hH6kmgnP3/ Dancing with the Stars alum Derek Hough chimed in saying he was surprised and disappointed by the comments and laughs, adding it reminded him of how he was laughed at as a young male dancer. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1hEfo6gJGr/ Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Pretty Woman, Legally Blond) added his thoughts advising Spencer to “think before you speak.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1guMmfnnaJ/ And as my friend Jerome Vivona, A-list Broadway dancer and currently running American Theater Dance Workshop pointed out, dance training develops, “Strength, grace, power, empathy, collaboratio, and balance.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1iDPrCpebS/ Spencer eventually apologized for her “insensitive comments” midday Friday on Instagram. “My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday,” she wrote. “From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain-and love every minute of it.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gzsy_D7-L/ I’ll add my own thoughts here as someone who enjoyed a long career in dance and theater thanks to my beginning dance classes at 14-years-old. Echoing what many have said above about the athleticism, strength, and sense of collaboration that dancers develop, I also champion the fact that dance helps men and women to understand the value of discipline which helps people as they pursue other careers outside of the dance world. Finally, I credit dance with keeping me in touch with my own body as I grow older. The photo below was taken when I turned 50 a few years ago when I appeared in Chicago the Musical at the Hollywood Bowl. While I’m no InstaHunk, trust and believe I would not be in this shape if I hadn’t danced all these years. 