LGBTQ news and entertainment
Some news items for you…
• Hollywood Raw: In a recent podcast interview, Clay Aiken recalls being inadvertently outed in 2006 by Rosie O’Donnell and why he calls that week the “most catastrophic” of his life.
• LGBTQ Nation: A new report shows queer consumers overwhelmingly support inclusive companies. Consistency & brand authenticity is key. Continue reading “Clay Aiken On Being Outed By Rosie O’Donnell + More News”
Some news items I thought worth your time:
• Huffington Post: Sally Field jokes that her son, Sam Greisman (above), is gay because he spent so much time on the set of Steel Magnolias.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out this week’s round-up of LGBTQ (and adjacent) publications including the Travel issue of GLOSS Magazine and more. Continue reading “Sally Field Jokes ‘Steel Magnolias’ May Have Made Her Son Gay + More”
Some news items you might have missed: • The Hollywood Reporter: American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken says he lost half of his fans after he came out as gay in 2008. After more than a decade away from music (and two runs for Congress), Aiken recently released a new holiday album, Christmas Bells Are Ringing. Continue reading “Clay Aiken’s New Holiday Album + More News”
Former American Idol star Clay Aiken has announced he will run for Congress in North Carolina’s 6th District. Continue reading “Clay Aiken (American Idol) Announces Run For Congress In NC”
Some news items you may have missed:
• Germany’s Olympic javelin team (above) offers us a good reason to talk about the country without having to mention “nazis.” Check out this one minute video from the hunky gentlemen from Germany.
• Two lawsuits in Northern Ireland challenging the current ban on marriage equality have been dismissed. The judge in both cases ruled the ban does not violate LGBT couples’ rights.
• Apple is donating $2 million to anti-hate groups, the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
We’ve seen the terror of white supremacy & racist violence before. It’s a moral issue – an affront to America. We must all stand against it— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 14, 2017
• On the same day, both the American Cancer Society and the Cleveland Clinic have canceled their planned gala events at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago venue. A local Chamber of Commerce official told the press, “The glitter, the shine has gone from the club and I can’t help but think there will be more fallout from it.”
• Openly gay former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken laments his past defense of Donald Trump:
Remember all those times I defended @realDonaldTrump and believed he was not actually racist? Well… I am a f*****g dumbass. #imsorry— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) August 15, 2017
• The Wrap is reporting Glenn Close is in advanced talks to star in a film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Sunset Boulevard. Close won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in 1994 and recently ended an enormously successful revival run on Broadway.
• Australian song bird Dannii Minogue dropped her new dance tune last week, “Holding On,” and the title/lyrics couldn’t be more appropriate for the times. Listen below:
Well… now I know why the ratings are down. 😴— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) January 7, 2016
Oh good Lord… those boring ass responses from the judges!? Where is Simon when you need him!? That guy need a hook to pull him off stage.— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) January 7, 2016
It's VERY clear now that @SimonCowell was the reason @AmericanIdol was a hit. I've watched root canals more entertaining than these judges.— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) January 7, 2016
Clay Aiken returns to reality TV with a new docu-series on the Esquire Channel – “The Runner-Up.”
Premiering tonight at 10PM, the series follows Aiken’s political campaign for a North Carolina congressional seat.
Billboard describes the series:
What the cameras did capture was Aiken-a Democrat- unfiltered. He curses like a sailor, micro-manages his staff — a key example is when he obsesses over the proper way signs are displayed for oncoming traffic — and says some politically incorrect statements about his Democratic opposition, Keith Crisco, who attacked him in campaign advertisements stating he did not show up for meetings of a presidential committee for people with disabilities. He also takes selfies on the campaign trail with unsuspecting voters who did not even realize he was running for office, records robo-calls with his cell phone, and stews over how publicity for his campaign is being run. All of this — and the tense moments awaiting primary results — is captured in four days worth of footage. And that’s just the first episode.
Although former American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken came up second on election night for his now-failed Congressional campaign, he quickly announced that he would be the focus of a “docu-series” (read that “reality show”) filmed throughout his campaign.
Apparently, this news has angered some of his supporters who now say they feel “duped” in regard to the filming that went on at events during the campaign.
Actor/producer Steve Tyler organized a fundraiser at the home of EXTRA correspondent Michael Corbett during the election cycle, and has written a letter to Aiken expressing his disappointment over Aiken’s “back-up plan.”
Hi Clay
Again, I am sorry for the loss on your bid for Congress, but apparently you had yourself covered with a reality TV show deal the entire time, just in case you didn’t win. I cannot speak for the NC Voters or contributors, but I can speak for myself and many of your Los Angeles supporters when I say we feel duped, taken advantage of and lied to. When we were asked to sign waivers by your film crew, we were told it was for a BBC documentary that would not air here in the United States.
I have received calls from many supporters at the LA fundraiser all demanding that the LA event not be included in your TV show, as the crew misrepresented use of the filming. It is obvious you had this TV deal prior to the votes being tabulated as GOOD MORNING AMERICA announced the deal just hours after votes were barely in.
On a personal level, I worked very hard convincing people of your integrity, viability and the need for them to donate. It all reflects badly on my credibility amongst donors because of your actions. Now it looks like I deceived donors.
I do hope you realize this prevents you from ever running again for an elected office. You will no longer be credible as someone that wants to help the public more than your need for fame. Had the LA donors known you would personally benefit from their donations and appearance at the event – they would not have donated to your campaign. Your TV deal was announced all over TV yesterday and in the Los Angeles Times today.
It pains me to write this because I so believed your Congressional Campaign was for the right reasons and the greater good. Obviously I misjudged you.
Respectfully
Steve Tyler
Read more about the whole kerfuffle at FrontiersLA.
Some news stories you may have missed, starting with the very hunky and handsome rugby playing Burgess brothers of Australia pictured above. From left to right: George, Luke, Sam and Thomas. Lots more Instagrams of the brothers at the link.
• Over 50 Texans working in law enforcement file a brief in support of same-sex marriage in Texas
• College football player Conner Mertens reflects on life a year after coming out
And don’t we need at least one more of the Brothers Burgess?
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| Clay Aiken |
It looks as though former American Idol runner up Clay Aiken will be the Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s 2nd House District this fall.
The final vote tally by the North Carolina State Board of Elections shows the American Idol runner-up with 11,678 votes to 11,288 for former state Commerce secretary Keith Crisco, who died Monday.
That’s a slight increase for Aiken from last week’s primary, but more important: The 1.37% margin of difference between the candidates would mean no recount in the nail-biter of a race.
Aiken has suspended campaign activities out of respect for Crisco and his family.
It’s a steep climb ahead for Aiken though. His opponent GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers, won reelection in 2012 with 58% of the vote in the very conservative district.