Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Get ready for “Hunktoberfest” as the Chippendales transform their Las Vegas home at Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino into a sexy and spooky playground for these Halloween hunks to host a special costume contest on Saturday and Sunday, October 30 and 31, in honor of one of the biggest themed-holiday weekends of the year. Continue reading “Hunktoberfest: No Tricks, All Treats At Chippendales This Halloween”
The world-famous Chippendales are saying thanks to all first responders by offering free tickets to their “off-the-chain” party at the Chippendales Theater inside Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Continue reading “The Chippendales Say Thanks To First Responders With Free Tickets”
The men of Chippendales have announced that their award-winning male revue will return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino beginning September 1 to take the stage and “take it off.” Continue reading “The Men Of Chippendales Announce Return To Las Vegas”
Some news items you might have missed:
• Chippendales: It’s a new year which means it’s time for a new calendar. This year’s edition of the iconic Chippendales calendar (above) is an all-star affair packed with fan favorites.
• NBC News: The Arizona Republican Party will vote on a measure to censure Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain, on January 23, in part because of her support for President-elect Joe Biden and for same-sex marriage.
• The Hill: Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation hearing for the role of Transportation secretary will be held Thursday. If he’s approved, Buttigieg will be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary to be confirmed by the Senate.
Buttigieg confirmation hearing for Transportation Secretary role slated for Thursday https://t.co/tG7nUUk51z pic.twitter.com/BPFHPosuGd
— The Hill (@thehill) January 15, 2021
• BosGuy: The veteran Boston blogger celebrates Furry Friday and we’re all the better for it 🙂
• New York Times: Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out the weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s issue of MetroWeekly (below).
• People: In a new interview, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson does not hold back saying Donald Trump is “grossly limited in his ‘understanding of global events, his understanding of global history’ and hamstrung by his own attention span.”
• Arkansas Online: Peter Francis Stager, 41, caught on video using an American flag and flagpole to beat a police officer during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot was arrested by federal authorities Thursday night. Remember, these are the folks who were upset at people taking a knee during a football game.
The hypocrisy of the Blue Lives Matter Crowd – Trump supporters beat cop with American flag pole by @sarahburris – https://t.co/GRM0wUv8ik via @DailymotionUSA #DomesticTerrorists
— Biden won. Trump Lost Bigly. (@uglymugagency) January 11, 2021
Checking in to see what some of my favorite InstaHunks are up to this fine weekend.
Fitness guy Bremen Menelli tried to do some cardio at the beach but someone else had other ideas:
View this post on InstagramWoofy Rod Facundo is down in Cancun giving you some cool/pool choreography:
Blacktain America went canoeing (had to wait for a big boy boat, first, though): Celebrity chef Franco Noriega (looking spiffy in a pale blue polo) really wants you to VOTE: Dentist Curtis Fitzgerald is giving you serious beach body: Broadway hottie Jim Newman is down in Brazil, says he’s working on ‘losing the dad-bod’ although we think he looks pretty fab already:
Ignacio Pérez Rey is all flirty with Andy Aguilar (“that cute little face”): Francesc Gascó had to work on Saturday, so the ambitious paleontologist got up early for a 5K run. I’m sweating just thinking about it… Chippendales reminds us what Friday nights used to be like in Las Vegas 🙂 Party promoter Eliad Cohen is the pool boy I never had: Modern Bears’ Travis and his boo, John White, shared their wedding pics:
Over the past few years, we’ve watched as the dashing and devastatingly handsome Nyle DiMarco has conquered just about everything he’s set his sights on.
The latest in his long string of successes – DiMarco has sold a scripted comedy TV series to Spectrum.
According to Deadline, DiMarco will star in the “irreverent comedy centered around his experiences as a charismatic, smart deaf man in modern times.”
“The episodes look to offer funny, character-based storytelling designed to provide a deeper perspective on the experiences of the deaf and hard of hearing communities in America,” Deadline adds.
Dimarco will executive produce along with Hawaii Five-O’s Daniel Day Kim as well as John Cheng and Tara Bohn and Melrose Placed’s Sami Housman.
DiMarco took to Twitter to celebrate the series news tweeting, “If I told my younger self that I would eventually have my own series about Deaf culture, I wouldn’t believe it. Deaf people leading in a series about deaf culture? Not possible! This is huge for me… thank you all!”
https://twitter.com/NyleDiMarco/status/1283115014488899584
The ‘sexually fluid’ model and actor first came to the national spotlight when he won the 2015 season of America’s Next Top Model. He is the only deaf contestant in the show’s history, and the second male to win.
From there, he snatched up the mirror ball trophy as the Season 22 winner of Dancing with the Stars.
Check out his freestyle championship dance with Peta Murgatroyd to “The Sound of Silence.” As you watch, remember – Nyle can’t hear any of the music. This is waaaaay impressive.
Although he’s best known for his victories in reality TV, the 31-year-old has also appeared in several scripted TV series like Station 19, Difficult People and Switched at Birth.
And don’t forget his sold-out run on the Las Vegas Strip as the ‘Celebrity Host’ of the world-famous Chippendales in September 2016.
In 2018, he was on the team of producers who brought the award-winning, Deaf-themed play, Children of a Lesser God, back to Broadway.
So, yeah, this is a guy who does a LOT of things well. #NoSlackerHere
DiMarco has also used his celebrity to advocate for more representation for deaf individuals in Hollywood and increased literacy in sign language for deaf children. He launched The Nyle DiMarco Foundation in 2016, which works to bring educational resources to deaf children and their families.
I interviewed the very handsome Mr. DiMarco as he was about to open his run with Chippendales here in Las Vegas. Here’s my chat with him from my podcast:
And since we’re talking all things DiMarco, let’s peruse some of his woofy Instagram feed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUPAj8FbV3/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXpKTug0g7/
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunks: Book a ‘Chippendales at Home’ party (above) and you never know – you might get two woofy Chipps for the price of one.
• Instinct: Why are some gay Republicans unhappy about the recent Supreme Court victory for LGBTQ protections in the workplace?
• Politico: A coalition of advocacy groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its rollback of LGBTQ patient protections, arguing that last week’s Supreme Court decision extending workplace legal protections to gay and transgender employees invalidates the new rules.
• LGBTQ Families: Family Source Consultants, Fertility Centers of Illinois and International Fertility League Group are hosting an expert-led discussion on family building for the LGBTQ+ community on June 25th at 5pm CDT via ZOOM. The informational event is focused on couples and individuals who are interested in building their family through third party reproduction.
• Newsweek: Kentucky has slashed the number of polling locations for Tuesday’s primary elections to just 170 in-person polling stations across the Commonwealth — a major drop from the standard 3,700 sites usually made available for voters. The decrease comes as state officials heavily encourage residents to vote by mail amid the coronavirus health crisis. Many of the state’s most populous areas, like Jefferson County, home to half of the state’s Black residents, will have ONE polling location.
• NY Post: A defiant shopper fought his way into an Orlando Walmart after he was denied entry for refusing to wear a face mask, a viral video shows. The incident occurred on the same day masks became mandatory in the county. In the viral video, an employee tries to block the man from entering. “You gotta wear a mask, bro!” the man behind the camera says. The older man then shoves the Walmart worker, even falling to the ground at one point.
Meanwhile in Florida clear folks feeling entitled lol 😷 #COVID19 #coronavirus #maskon #maskoff #mask pic.twitter.com/AqbBqGABff
— Cali_CoCo (@CaliCoCo3) June 20, 2020
Need a break from binge-watching? Looking for a different kind of ‘self-care’ from home?
With their Las Vegas home on lock-down, the world-famous Chippendales have come up with the perfect solution to beat the quarantine blues: a virtual night out with friends as the hunks stream into your homes. And yes, men are totally welcome.
“Chippendales@Home” is the perfect way to make sure birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, or just plain “let’s have fun” nights all have their own special moments.
The new streaming experience gives folks the chance to hang out and party with the men of Chippendales right in your own homes.
Get to know the guys in a private, virtual setting as they host your party, play games like “Never Have I Ever?” or guessing what’s in a Chipp’s pants, get or give a virtual lap dance and experience some of the interaction Chippendales live shows thrive on.
Each 30-minute party features at least two Chippendales cast members and will be hosted utilizing streaming platforms such as ZOOM, House Party, FaceTime, or Google Hangout.
Said one participant, “Hands down my FAVORITE quarantine experience thus far!”
And another, “I liked that it was interactive – and the fruit/vegetable in the pants game was hilarious!”
Check out this one-minute video (warning – bare butts ahead) from a recent “Chippendales@Home” party featuring Chippendales emcee Jayson Michael (wearing cuffs and collar) and Ryan Worley (wearing…a guitar).
For a limited time, Chippendales is offering their streaming service for free as a thank you to all first responders and health care workers as well as to any ticket purchaser that was unable to attend one of their postponed shows.
For more information about booking “Chippendales@Home,” visit chippendales.com.
In addition to “Chippendales@Home,” the brand has been cranking out online experiences as people are urged to stay inside. Recent digital offerings include at-home workouts with cast members, Instagram Live chats with alumni of the brand, and light-hearted digital content such as one of the current cast members performing a lap dance for a 12-pack of toilet paper.
Here’s more from the men of Chippendales via Instagram:
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunks: Chippendales’ Ryan Worley (above) has the right idea for a Friday night. Man, this week kinda kicked my butt… How are you folks doing? Thinking best thoughts everyone’s way.
• Fox News: Former Vice President Joe Biden bests President Donald Trump by nine points in a 2020 ballot test, in the first Fox News Poll since Biden became the de facto Democratic nominee. Notably, Biden has an eight-point edge in battleground states (48-40 percent). However, Biden’s advantage grows to 25 points, 57-32 percent, in close counties (where Hillary Clinton and Trump were within 10 points in 2016).
• NewNowNext: Click over to read a deep dive into the many husbands of “Joe Exotic,” one of the stars of the bizarre docu-series Tiger King. I watched the first two episodes last night after seeing everyone talk about it. It’s quite the odd assortment of big cat ‘private zoo’ characters.
• Out Music: Bounce into the weekend with this new cut from Bright Light Bright Light – “This Was My House,” a sugar-rush of dancefloor pop featuring Madonna’s longtime backing vocalist duo Niki Haris and Donna De Lory.
“The song is about how the safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community have been fractured of late with a palpable uprising of anti-LGBTQ+ and xenophobic rhetoric, which is scarily even more real now as these public spaces are closed for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the artist.
• NY Daily News: New Yorkers should be prepared for the city to remain in “pause” due to coronavirus through May even as President Trump gives Americans “false hope” the country will reopen by Easter next month, Mayor de Blasio said Friday. “We have to be ready for that and I think it’s going to spread in the country,” de Blasio said when asked if the city would be closed through May. “This idea of Easter is, unfortunately, a false hope. It would be better for the president to be blunt with people that we’ve got a really tough battle ahead.”
• KIT212: Kenneth rounds up the best of local gay rags in the U.S. and around the world including DNA Magazine featuring Nordic hottie Patrik Isoaho (below).
With all of the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip temporarily shut down, as well as the area gyms, the world-famous Chippendales are getting creative in finding ways to keep in shape while doing the self-quarantine thing at home.
Ryan Worley, who performs in the troupe’s Vegas-based production at the Rio Hotel & Casino, is making a series of videos sharing his tips for working out at home. The clips are short, easy to understand and definitely easy on the eyes.
“We’re quarantined here in Vegas but we’ve got to keep our spirits high and we’ve got to stay in shape because we’ve got a show to come back to,” says Worley.
The first video offers Worley in the trademark “cuffs & collar” offering info for working out your shoulders. He uses two one-gallon jugs of almond milk (about 8 lbs each) to hit all three heads of the shoulders – front, side, and rear.
Not for nothing – Worley is giving you cute-icious face and body.
The Chipps’ second video features a more G-rated Worley in a tank-top (dangit!) coaching us on how to get our glutes tight.
Worley recommends doing a hip thrust (aka glute thrust, we like that term better) at home with a pillow under your upper back and your feet either on the floor or on a stair-step. Press through your heels so your upper body goes as high as possible, hold for a few seconds, then lower. The winsome Worley recommends 15-20 reps in a set depending on your fitness level, and if things get too easy you can add some weight to your hips.
Worley shares that he’s a licensed personal trainer and plans to do several more videos in the near future.
Side note – Worley’s colleague Pat Tanski is taking a different tact keeping busy at home by busting moves as his adorable dog takes it all in.
Hit the play button below – you’re going to like this 😉
As Worley mentions in the videos, there’s no down-time for the Chippendales because the (fingers-crossed) plan in Las Vegas is to hopefully have casinos, hotels, and shows back up and running sooner than later. The governor in Nevada ordered all non-essential businesses to close for a 30-day period which expires on April 16.
And a Chipps-approved body doesn’t happen on its own.
The Chippendales are hoping to be back in full-swing when Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore fame returns to handle celebrity hosting duties again. The ‘Keto Guido’ is currently scheduled to rejoin the men of Chipps from April 24 to June 7.
You might recall when the Jersey Shores star flashed his ‘mini-Vinny’ onstage and the cell phone video of the moment went viral? #goodtimes
Not one to sit idle, Worley recently launched a new “fantasy dates” website – BodyKink.
“This is a platform that connects models with fans,” says Worley. “It’s a strictly legal website and we do fantasy dates and companionship.
He adds, “BodyKink is a safe place where people can express their kinky desires and they don’t have to be ashamed for it or anything like that.”
The hunky former Mormon shares that a portion of the proceeds will be donated each month to Golden Rainbow, a local charity founded by the entertainment industry that provides housing and financial assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
Check out a few shots from Worley’s thirst-tastic Instagram: