Happy Friday! Some news stories for you as we head into the weekend:
• Outsports: There will be at least 44 publicly out LGBTQ athletes (including Gus Kenworthy – lead photo) competing at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics starting Feb. 6, a record for the Winter Games.
Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Congratulations to civil rights activist Brian Sims, who’s now engaged to his beau, Alex Drakos, after popping the question on a beach in Hong Kong. In 2012, Sims became the first out gay lawmaker in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. Continue reading “Brian Sims Put A Ring On It + More News”
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Pennsylvania state representative Brian Sims (above) reports a record-setting fundraising haul in his bid for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor. If elected, Rep. Sims would become the first out LGBTQ lieutenant governor of a U.S. state. Continue reading “News Round-Up: August 24, 2021”
PA state Rep. Brian Sims and Bear (via Instagram) What could be better for ‘Furry Friday’ than a bear in a crop top? Out Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims recently reversed his opinion about pets in clothes when he posted a pic on Instagram of his adorbs doggo Temper wearing a t-shirt from his campaign store. “I WAS WRONG: I recently expressed misgivings about pets in clothes, and I was wrong,” admitted bearded Brian. “Clearly Bears in crop tops are the Moment!” He added the hashtag #Sims4Pa along with a link to his online store as the 42-year-old lawmaker is running for Lieutenant Governor of the Keystone state. To be honest, both ‘bears’ in the photo are pretty cute. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPar-GKBglF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link I’ve been a fan of Sims for a long time because, basically, what’s not to like? He became the first out lawmaker elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2012, and he’s been loud and proud about LGBTQ issues as well as the BLM movement and women’s equality. Plus, he’s not shy about expressing himself whether it’s regarding coronavirus recklessness by his colleagues, flipping the bird at former Vice President Mike Pence, or boldly discussing his use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Head over to his official campaign site for more info about Sims. And while you’re there check out his campaign merch where you can find Bear’s pink & white crop top or this ‘I Believe in Trans Excellence’ t-shirt: And then there’s Temper, who’s a regular feature (hashtag #BearAttack) on his Instagram. Here’s just a sample of the furry goodness. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xEj-QhIaJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B86ObNUBEkG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CMNN8LpBM_E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CDJhZqJhmQ9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CAc38M1hSqc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KgRrLBxAE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CCGntSIhVoU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CLdFjDdhJ82/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CHleSTAhN7P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims (image via Instagram)
After spending nearly 10 years in the Pennsylvania state House, openly gay Rep. Brian Sims has announced he is running to be the Keystone State’s next lieutenant governor.
The woofy Democrat made history in 2012 when he became the first openly gay man elected the Pennsylvania legislature. Now he’s looking to take his experience and move on up to statewide office.
Citing the values instilled in him by his military officer parents – taking responsibility, show empathy, have courage, and being authentic – Sims says he “wants to put those values to the direct service of the Commonwealth.”
“I have a lot of hope when I look at the people across the country that decided over these last number of years that they’d had enough,” says the 42-year-old lawmaker in his announcement video. “That they looked at a lack of leadership and thought that they could do better and oftentimes they’re right.”
”I want to be your next Lieutenant Governor,” says Sims directly to voters in his announcement. “We need adults in the room and I want to bring bold innovative leadership based on lived experiences and shared values to the Commonwealth.”
During his time in office, Sims has not been shy to call out folks for what he sees as stepping astray of their elected responsibilities.
Whether raising his voice for equality for women, LGBTQ rights and protections or personal accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sims isn’t one to stay quiet.
Last year Sims gave a fiery speech calling out his Republican colleagues in the state House after it was discovered a GOP lawmaker had tested positive for COVID-19 but kept on attending meetings.
Prior to public service, Sims was a star athlete who, as an openly gay captain for the Bloomberg University football team, led his teammates to a Division II National Championship game in 2000.
After college he worked as the executive director of Equality Pennsylvania and served as a member of the Victory Campaign Board.
Pennsylvania’s current Lt. Governor, John Fetterman, recently declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. He’s looking to fill theseat being vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R) who announced last fall he would not seek reelection in 2022.
Pennsylvania legislator Brian Sims (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • LGBTQ Nation: A Republican lawmaker called the police this week on out Pennsylvania Democratic lawmaker Brian Sims saying that the gay legislator made him fear for his family’s safety. Sims denies the allegations. • Instinct Magazine: Walt Disney Studios and Hulu have decided to renew Love, Victor for a second season after the first season’s well-received debut in June. Hulu later announced that Love, Victor was the number one most-watched drama on the streaming platform during its premiere week in June. • theOUTfront: Premiering today on Disney+, the new documentary Howard pays tribute at the life of gay director/librettist/lyricist, Howard Ashman who also helped give a genie his magic and a carnivorous plant his menace and has made generations want to be part of that world.
• Means Happy: Get ready to be celebrated because Gay Uncles Day is a thing. Since around 2016, Gay Uncles Day has been widely celebrated on the second Sunday in August – it’s a great way of recognizing the diversity of our families, and also the important contribution that queer men make to family life. • Washington Examiner: With the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, leading President Trump by a wide margin in national polling, there could very well be a another “blue wave” come November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted ratings in four more House races this week in the direction of the Democrats. • New Music: Australian pop star Kylie Minogue recently released the music video to her new single, “Say Something,” and it is all you could want in galactic glitter goodness. The vibe of the video could be described as XanadumeetsStarlight Express as the pop princess galavants across the universe on a golden steed surrounded by shirtless men. #TotallyNotGayAtAll
Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims (screen capture) Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, an openly gay Democrat, went on an epic Facebook Live rant Wednesday night calling out state Republicans for covering up a GOP lawmaker’s positive diagnosis for COVID-19. Sims says House Republicans called for in-person committee meetings to argue that business sectors were safe to reopen even as they knew they had been exposed to the virus. From NBC News:
“Every single day of this crisis this State Government Committee in Pennsylvania has met so that their members could line up one after one after one and explain that it was safe to go back to work,” said Sims during his. “During that time period they were testing positive. They were notifying one another. And they didn’t notify us.”
“I never ever, ever knew that the Republican leadership of this state would put so many of us at risk for partisanship to cover up a lie,” he said during the nearly 12-minute tirade. “And that lie is that we’re all safe from COVID.”
Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin, said in a Facebook Live address Wednesday night, hours after he publicly announced he had tested positive, that he informed as few people as possible about contracting the coronavirus because he wanted to protect the privacy of those around him and because he was only in close quarters with a handful of house colleagues.
Sims shares in the video that he donated a kidney in January and so he currently has a compromised immune system making him more susceptible to the coronavirus. Sims is demanding an investigation into how the notification about the diagnosis was handled. He’s also called for Speaker of the House Mike Turzai to resign. Here’s the Facebook Live video. Note – Sims uses some profanity in here.
OHMYGOD, I just figured out how to play Spotify on my TV! I’ve been listening to myself all day so I can earn some extra cash. I think I’m up to 78 cents! 😂
my much anticipated rankings for the 11 Star Wars films:
1) sunday in the park w george 2) company 3) into the woods 4) sweeney todd 5) merrily we roll along 6) a little night music 7) follies 8) assassins 9) forum 10) i’ve never seen a Star Wars film 11) passion — Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT) December 20, 2019
“Cats” should not be seen by small children or people who are high.
And then there was this exchange between woofy Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims and out recording artist Bright Light Bright Light that made my morning:
And if any of them cosplay as X-Men for some reason today I decided which song each mutant should lip sync to after watching an X-Man musical. You’re welcome.
Storm does an ‘it’s Raining (X) Men’ / ‘Rain’ / ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’ medley and Jean Grey does ‘Genie In A Bottle’ with very aggressive literal interpretive dance that kicks off when she goes full Phoenix.
And while we’re on the subject of Bright Light Bright Light, check out his synth-pop version of the holiday classic, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” released in 2017.
