LGBTQ news and entertainment
Sharing just a few more headlines as we head into the weekend: • Edge Media: The Crown & Anchor (above) – Provincetown’s largest entertainment complex – is in the process of being sold to a longtime employee, Jonathan Hawkins, and his boyfriend and business partner, Paolo Martini. Continue reading “News Round-Up: October 15, 2021”
Just to let you know this stuff really IS out there. Via The Gaily Grind:
The man, who was later identified as 19-year-old Colton Allen of Bedford, Indiana, posted the video after someone left a note on his windshield saying, “f*ck you.”
After showing off the note, Allen goes around his pickup truck with an unidentified cameraman to show why someone might be compelled to leave the hostile note.
The video, originally posted on Snapchat by Allen’s friend, Brady Headrick, went viral after it was shared on social media by former NBA player Rex Chapman on July 12.
The cameraman asks “What are they are hating on, Mr. Colton?”
He replied, “I honestly don’t understand why they’re so upset,” grabbing the noose and characterizing it as his “dog’s leash.”
Near the end of the video, the cameraman suggests the noose is “just hanging” in the event the driver needs to “pull somebody out.”
“It’s not like it can be a noose or anything. That’s racist,” the cameraman said, to which Allen agreed.
There’s a lot more about Allen, who graduated from Bedford North Lawrence High School in 2020, over at Heavy.com. Before he made his Facebook profile more private, his Facebook page included several memes and posts about his right-wing views and his support of President Donald Trump.
Man from Indiana doesn’t think the noose on the back of his Confederate truck is racist pic.twitter.com/8UgczAKtV1
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) July 12, 2020
(image via Depositphotos)
To equate the Pride flag with a symbol that represented a denial of human rights is disgusting and a slap in the face of those members of the community who serve, or seek to serve, in uniform. (2/2)
— VoteVets (@votevets) July 17, 2020
A woman in Branson, Missouri, was captured on video at a Black Lives Matter protest earlier this week waving a Confederate flag and yelling at protesters “I will teach my grandkids to hate you all.” She also called out “KKK belief.” Kathy Jenkins told local news station KOLR10 that since the video went viral she’s lost her job (a punishment she says she deserves) and has left Branson, her home of six years. Jenkins claims, however, that she “blacked out” and doesn’t remember making those racist statements to BLM protesters assembled outside a store that sells Confederate merchandise. She does, however, say she remembers chanting along with the protesters “Black Lives Matter.” According to Jenkins, she was watching the protest from the other side of the street and was handed a Confederate flag. She says she thought it was a symbol of “unity.” Jenkins says in the video she was yelling at a pair of neighbors who were heckling her and calling her a racist for waving the flag. “I wasn’t saying I’m KKK or for the KKK,” she told KOLR10 reporter David Chasanov on Wednesday. “I was mocking them because I don’t like being called a racist.” “I’m so, so sorry,” Jenkins told KOLR10. “I mean, if it would help for me to stand with Black Lives Matter, I absolutely would do that.” “I didn’t understand that the Confederate flag meant hate,” said Jenkins. “I don’t understand the whole history of the Confederate flag, but I’m learning.” But Faith Pittser, one of the Black Lives Matter organizers, disagreed with that version of the story. She told the news station in a statement:
“She knew exactly what she was doing. She was there from the start on the counter-protesters’ side shouting obscenities and hateful words at our protesters. I think her claims to not know what the confederate flag is and what it represents are absurd and lies. She proudly shouted “KKK belief” in front of all of us.
“Her apology does not make sense as she’s trying to state she didn’t realize she was on the opposing side. How do you not realize that if you’re on Dixie Outfitter’s property holding a confederate flag along with the other counter-protesters that are facing us? She never once shouted ‘black lives matter’ along with us. This woman is lying and apologizing because she’s sorry she got caught in her acts of racism.”
Here’s the original video that went viral on Twitter. The clip has been viewed over 13 million times.
Look how the police protecting her racists ass pic.twitter.com/CVIJitLhxH
— BlackCultureEntertainment🗣 (@4TheCulture____) June 22, 2020
Tyler James (via Instagram)
@juliemason Obama golfing in Hawaii – living the best life. It looks like he’s been working out. Profiles in presidential golfing. pic.twitter.com/gM0e3fnCTx
— Santa Sees Everything (@DeniseTut) December 19, 2019
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| InstaHunk Jeff Ferreira |
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunk Jeff Ferreira calls the setting for this photo (above) “perfectly perfect.” No wonder he looks so natural there 😉
• ABC News: According to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, nearly 5 million people took part in this past weekend’s World Pride festivities.
• New York Times: It was 38 years ago today that a mysterious disease was reported to be targeting gay men in San Francisco and New York City. And so began a pandemic that the Reagan and Bush administrations would choose, in large part, to ignore.
• Washington Post: Tennessee has quietly enacted a new law that bars ministers ordained online from solemnizing weddings in the state. As of July 1, only priests, rabbis, ministers, people designated through a temple or church, and public officials can perform weddings. Many LGBT folks have their weddings officiated by family members or friends since many religious or elected officials won’t perform the ceremony, especially in deep red states.
• Page Six: Anderson Cooper (youngest child of now-deceased Gloria Vanderbilt) will inherit almost all of his mother’s estate. In 2014, Cooper told Howard Stern he didn’t expect to inherit anything.
• Tweet of the Day: White contractor shows up to the job of black homeowner with a racist Confederate flag on the back of his truck. Hit play to see what happened next.
A white contractor shows up to the job of a black homowner with a racist confederate flag on the back of his truck. The homeowner turns him away. pic.twitter.com/P6lsS7UG89— Brother Tyrone X (@tyrone345345) July 2, 2019
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| The Chippendales handle the desert heat in style |
Some news items you might have missed:
• It’s heating up here in Las Vegas, but you can trust the Chippendales (above) to always keep cool as they dress for success.
• The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) apologized today for previously treating homosexuality as a mental illness.
• Currently, 74 members of the House of Representatives support impeaching Donald Trump.
• Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to expand access to PrEP helping ensure that communities disproportionately impacted by HIV – particularly Black/Latino gay & bisexual men and trans women – are guaranteed insurance coverage for life-saving preventive interventions.
Proud to introduce the PrEP Access and Coverage Act today, my new bill to:✅require all health care plans to cover PrEP, follow-up visits, and tests with no out-of-pocket costs
✅expand access to PrEP for those uninsured
✅prohibit insurance discrimination against PrEP users— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) June 20, 2019
• International pop star Olivia Newton-John is putting that famous black leather jacket and pants from the finale of her blockbuster film, Grease, on the auction block along with more personal memorabilia. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center in Australia.
• Gay porn studio Sean Cody got in hot water for hiring a ‘model’ named Zane who sports a Confederate flag tattoo. Initially, the studio just blurred the tat thinking that would suffice. But an uproar caused the company to take down all videos using the performer.
• Grammy Award winning artist Daya drops her latest single, “Left Me Yet,” from her upcoming album.
In the music video, the openly bisexual singer/songwriter dances her way through self-criticism and doubt as the dance/pop bop grooves along to electronic beats.
“I push you away, why do I do that? / Impatient, but you’re patient with me / I’m surprised you haven’t left me yet.”
Raise your hand if you can relate 😉
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| McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming |
Earlier this month, I reported on an incident at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where homophobic and racist flyers appeared in the hallways of the school.
Students discovered flyers which read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”
“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which appeared to be signed by “the confederate kid club.”
Since then, Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent Boyd Brown announced that he had identified at least one student believed to be responsible for creating the racist and anti-gay flyers, and that Cook was likely to be reinstated at the school.
But wait – there’s more!
Last Wednesday, 20-25 students who are members of the GSA were called out of class to a meeting with three faculty members who told them they could no longer post any rainbow flags, wear any rainbow clothing or anything LGBTQ-related.
According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Ashlynn Kercher, an 8th grade member of the GSA, said, “They told us it was a school distraction and ‘You don’t want to make other people feel like you felt when you saw the posters.’”
The students were reportedly told that if they break the ‘no rainbow/LGBTQ paraphernalia’ rule they will be written up on dress code infractions, and possibly suspended.
Principal Conine told the Tribune Eagle he didn’t know anything about the meeting taking place and that he had not decided to ban anything.
But Ashlynn’s mother, Abby Kercher, spoke to the district’s Title IX coordinator, John Below, who reportedly told her he and the principal had decided to ban the flags and clothing.
On Thursday, the School District issued a statementwhich read, in part:
“Because of the provocative use of flags, especially under the current controversy at the local junior high, the District will not allow the display of confederate flags on District property or at District events. Further, the District will review potential policies or regulations regarding the disruptive use of flags and symbols within the District.”
You’ll note the statement does not say the district is banning rainbow flags.
Superintendent Brown clarified the next day that rainbow flags were not being banned“as long as students do not use them to incite other students.”
The scene as President Obama’s motorcade arrived at his hotel in Oklahoma City tonight. Photo by @dougmillsnyt pic.twitter.com/L7e9TCrOPQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 16, 2015
It’s worth noting that during the time of the U.S. Civil War, Oklahoma was not a U.S. state. Oklahoma wasn’t admitted into the Union until 1907.
Oklahoma did not fight in the Civil War and did not secede from the Union.
The state has no history with the Confederate flag, other than its symbolism of White Supremacy in the 20th century.
This morning the country watched as South Carolina removed the Confederate flag from the grounds of the State House.
It was thrilling to hear chants of “USA! USA! USA” as the flag – long a symbol that divided not only South Carolina, but the entire country – was lowered and marched off the capitol grounds.
I loved that once the flag was removed it was handed to an African-American. Delicious.
Forward.