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News Round-Up: June 23, 2021

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy
Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy
Gus Kenworthy (image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• OK Magazine: Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy (above) tells the gossip mag that the 2022 Winter Olympics will be his last after which he’ll turn his focus to acting and TV hosting gigs.

• The Advocate: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender girls and women from competing in school sports designated for females calling it “a solution in search of a problem.” Edwards, a moderate Democrat, said in an online statement. “Even the author of the bill acknowledged throughout the legislative session that there wasn’t a single case where this was an issue.”

• Boy Culture: Britney Spears had her day in court, wants her life back, and Matt Rettenmund has her full (explosive) statement to the court. This is a wild ride, folks. I’m not a Britney fan, but I think folks should give her her life back and let the chips fall where they may.

International pop star Britney Spears
International pop star Britney Spears (image via Instagram)

• Raw Story: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation requiring students, faculty and staff at Florida’s public universities and colleges to register their political views with the state as a way to encourage “intellectual diversity.”

• New York Times: Graydon Young, of Sarasota, Fla., admitted to conspiring to breach the U. S. Capitol building as part of a military-style “stack” made up of members of the Oath Keepers militia and disrupt the certification of the Electoral College vote. As part of his deal with the government, Mr. Young agreed to cooperate with prosecutors — the second member of the Oath Keepers to provide assistance to investigators. He faces an estimated 63 to 78 months in prison.

• Mediaite: Former NRA president David Keene accepted an invitation to address what he thought was going to be its graduating class of 2021. Instead, the 3,044 chairs in the audience were left completely unoccupied. And not because it was a dress rehearsal as Keene was told, but to represent all of the should-have-been 2021 high school graduates who were killed by gun violence, “The Lost Class.”

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News Round-Up: April 16, 2021

Some news items you might have missed:

• Instagram: Not everyone is celebrating ‘Bachelor’ star Colton Underwood getting a Netflix series that will follow his new life as an openly gay man after coming out this week. When Attitude Magazine posted the news (above), pop star Adam Lambert chimed in, “No one is feeling this Netflix.” And out former rugby star Keegan Hirst wrote, “Monetising coming out. Oh dear. Not a good look.”

• Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s GRAB Magazine featuring singer/songwriter Dodie.

(image via GRAB Magazine)

• PBS: A new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found two-thirds of Americans (66%) oppose laws that would limit transgender rights. That opposition includes majorities of every political ideology from liberal to conservative and every age group.

• CBC: A gym in Quebec City has become one of the largest recorded COVID-19 super-spreading events in Canada as 224 cases have been traced directly to the gym as well as another 356 related cases. The gym owner, a pandemic denier, shared social media posts that questioned the effectiveness of masks and minimized the dangers of COVID-19.

• Instinct Magazine: A straight man began sharing pics of his enormous penis on Twitter during the pandemic, and now says he identifies as bisexual following all the attention he garnered from gay followers. “I think if I met the right one, and got to know and like and trust him, I might find the courage to… explore.”

• NBC News: A new bill in the Texas Senate aims to redefine child abuse to include parents who consent to hormone therapy and puberty blockers for their transgender children. The legislation would make such acts a felony.

• Pink News: A student was caught on video tearing down a Pride flag that hung along a stairwell at Ridgeline High School in Cache County, Utah, on Tuesday. It had been placed by officials to celebrate the school’s Gay Straight Alliance during diversity week, alongside flags from various countries.

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Gus Kenworthy Will Be Colton Underwood’s ‘Gay Guide’ On Netflix Series

Gus Kenworthy will serve as a 'gay guide' to newly-out Colton Underwood on new Netflix reality series
Gus Kenworthy will serve as a 'gay guide' to newly-out Colton Underwood on new Netflix reality series
L-R Colton Underwood, Gus Kenworthy (via screen cap, Instagram)

Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood, who came out as gay during an interview on Good Morning America Wednesday morning, is getting his own Netflix reality show.

The unscripted series, according to Variety, will focus on Underwood learning to navigate living his life as an out gay man.

While Netflix shared no details about the multi-episode series, an insider says out Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy will participate as a ‘gay guide’ of sorts as Underwood explores being a part of the LGBTQ community.

In that Underwood is a former NFL football player, and Kenworthy is a decorated free-style skier, it’s easy to imagine some discussion will be had on coming to grips with being gay while competing in such hyper-masculine sports.

No word on when the series will debut but the Netflix insider says the project is currently shooting.

Reality TV seems to be in Underwood’s blood as he’s been a big part of ‘Bachelor Nation’ for the past few years having taken part in The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and then eventually being cast as The Bachelor.

In his interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, you could hear the nerves in Underwood’s voice as he shared he’s “run from myself for a long time” and “hated myself for a long time” before coming to the words, “I’m gay.”

“I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing all of that,” he added. “The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know.”

The 29-year-old also offered advice to anyone struggling with coming out saying, “When the time’s right and you’re ready, do it on your own time.”

Many on social media offered their support to Underwood including out celebs Andy Cohen, Billy Eichner, and Dan Levy.

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Gus Kenworthy’s New LinkedIn Pic Breaks The Internet

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy posted a photo on his Instagram while mentioning he’s looking to update his LinkedIn account and needed new resume pics.

Umm…woof. 

In the photo, snapped by photog Brian Kaminski, Gus is resting in repose in a pair of short shorts, washboard abs on display along with the perfect amount of fur.

The pic was accompanied by the tongue-in-cheek caption, “My friend @briankaminski was kind enough to come over yesterday and take some pictures for my LinkedIn.”

Can I just say, “You’re hired, Gus!”

Kaminski also shared a pic from the shoot teasing there are more to come.

 

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A post shared by Brian Kaminski 📷 (@briankaminski)

Gus has been keeping a lower profile on social media during the pandemic than in prior years. In April, he shared that the isolation of coronavirus lockdown had taken some toll on his mental health. At the same time, he announced he was doing personalized greetings for fans in order to raise money for first responders in the health crisis.

In December 2019, the Olympic silver medalist announced he was switching from Team USA to Team Great Britain (he was born in England) with the hopes of representing the United Kingdom in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Clearly, Gus is keeping in top-shape.

Of course, there was that trip to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes back in September… 😉

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News Round-Up: September 8, 2020

(via Instagram/GusKenworthy)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy (above) shared some fun pics from the desert this Labor Day weekend complete with shirtless black tutu snap. “This year’s Burning Man was canceled but it didn’t stop us from getting weird in the desert.”

• Pink News: Russian ‘Cossack soldiers’ prowled the streets of the Russian city of Yekaterinburg during Pride week attempting to hunt down LGBTQ people. They wound up targeting straight people they thought looked queer.

• Stat News: A large, Phase 3 study testing a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford at dozens of sites across the U.S. has been put on hold due to a suspected serious adverse reaction in a participant in the United Kingdom.

• New Music: Grammy nominee Tayla Parx’s playful new music video, “Dance Alone,” has soulful sass and groove to spare. “We’re all stuck inside while coping with being away from loved ones more than usual,” says the native Texan. “We need human connection, but at least when you’re home dancing in your pajamas while blasting your favorite song, you feel a little less alone. You have the music to keep you company.”

• Instinct Magazine: Chasten Buttigieg, husband to former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, shares in his new book I Have Something To Tell You, that he ran away from home as a teen thinking he would only be a disappointment to his parents due to being gay. ” I was so convinced by everything that I had learned for 18 years that I would be a disappointment and the society I grew up in told me that I was twisted and broken.”

• Washington Post: Broadway alone accounts for more tickets sold each year than for all of the metropolitan area’s professional sports teams, and the industry pumps on the order of $13 billion annually into the city economy. Check out this thoughtful exploration of what will be involved, and what it will take, to bring Broadway back to life post-pandemic.

• The Advocate: A New Jersey man faces both federal and state charges – including malicious use of explosives, unlawful possession of two destructive devices, and unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle – in connection with an explosion at a gym owned by a female couple. Some in the local LGBTQ+ community suspect it was a hate crime.

• InstaHunks II: A few more photos from Gus Kenworthy’s faux Burning Man desert fun…

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News Round-Up: April 28, 2020

Gus Kenworthy and Birdie (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• New York Times: National Institutes of Health scientists in Montana last month inoculated six rhesus macaque monkeys (considered the closest equivalent to humans) with single doses of a vaccine developed by the Oxford University’s Jenner Institute. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic — exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later all six were healthy.

• InstaHunks: I spent about a year studying the guitar when I was younger, and I was terrible. Woofy Gus Kenworthy (top) has really learned a lot in just two months. Color me impresssed. But it looks like his best fur pal Birdie isn’t feeling it. Watch below.

 

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I’ve spent the past two months trying to learn the guitar and my dog is… honestly not very impressed.

A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on

• Reuters: A study of more than 1400 LGBT+ women – one of the largest of its kind – found 37% of lesbian mothers in the UK suffered discrimination from other parents, while the same number’s children were victimized.

• Bloomberg News: Donald Trump indicated today he’s considering withholding COVID-19 financial assistance from blue states unless they agree to do away with sanctuary cities. Note: states like California and New York, which have sanctuary cities, already send much more to the federal government than they receive.

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Two people in Georgia drank liquid cleaning products over the weekend in misguided attempts to ward off COVID-19, according to the Georgia Poison Center. Both men had histories of psychiatric problems and are expected to recover.

• The Gaily Grind: ABC News correspondent Will Reeve, the son of the late “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve, accidentally revealed to the nation that he wasn’t wearing any pants while doing a live report on “Good Morning America” from his home.

The 27-year-old’s camera was angled down and revealed that the correspondent was not wearing any pants as he sat on a stool immediately generating reactions on social media after the moment on “Good Morning America” went viral.

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Gus Kenworthy Shares Isolation Struggles, Announces Fundraiser For First Responders

Olympic silver medalist Gus Kenworthy

Olympic silver medalist Gus Kenworthy checked in via Instagram on Wednesday noting that while he’s been “MIA” for several weeks on social media.

Kenworthy candidly shared that the stay-at-home isolation thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 health threat has weighed heavily on him and his mental health.

“One thing I’ve learned is that just because we’re in isolation it does NOT mean that we’re alone,” wrote Kenworthy. “We really are in this together! If you’re struggling w/ depression and you’ve been feeling down and worthless know that I have been too.”

“In school, in sports and in life I’ve always hated asking for help because I’ve wanted to seem strong, brave, tough, self-assured, etc but I’ve realized that sometimes you just need help and when you do you need to ask for it,” he continued. “It’s literally what friends are for. Swallow your pride and text a friend saying ‘I’m feeling really down, can you talk?’ It will help.”

 

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I know I’ve been MIA for the past month and a half but tbh this whole thing has been really hard on me. I know has been a struggle for most everyone. One thing I’ve learned is that just because we’re in isolation it does NOT mean that we’re alone. We really are in this together! If you’re struggling w/ depression and you’ve been feeling down and worthless know that I have been too. In school, in sports and in life I’ve always hated asking for help because I’ve wanted to seem strong, brave, tough, self-assured, etc but I’ve realized that sometimes you just need help and when you do you need to ask for it. It’s literally what friends are for. Swallow your pride and text a friend saying “I’m feeling really down, can you talk?” It will help. I’m thankful for my friends and all of you for being my support system; I’m thankful for the people who have used this time to create fun, funny content that has made me laugh and offered levity amidst the darkness; I’m thankful for my health and, most especially, I’m thankful for my family. We had some serious scares this past month and it’s put into perspective, more than ever before, the importance of family. My 9-month-old nephew, Bodhi, had a bad cough/ fever and started having trouble breathing. He ended up being flight for life’d to Denver Children’s Hospital to be put on a respirator and spent a week in the ICU. Shortly after he returned home my 4-year-old niece, Bobbie, fell ill and had to be rushed to the same hospital to undergo two emergency surgeries. They’re both finally home again and recovering! I’m incredibly thankful and forever grateful to our healthcare workers on the front line of this pandemic. I can’t show my gratitude enough but, in an effort to help out, I’ve decided to join Cameo to make personalized videos for anybody who wants one w/ 100% of my proceeds going to #FirstRespondersFirst to raise money for the doctors & nurses risking their lives to save others. If you wanna buy a video there’s a link in my bio and I’ll match whatever we raise up to $10,000! Thank you all for staying home to help flatten the curve and also for reading my unsolicited novel of a caption. Let’s #BeatTheVirus ❤️

A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on

Kenworthy added that both his 9-month-old nephew and his 4-year-old niece had recently experienced two health scares involving some pretty serious maneuvers.

Now that both are home and recovering, Kenworthy plans to show his appreciation for healthcare workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic

“I can’t show my gratitude enough but, in an effort to help out, I’ve decided to join Cameo to make personalized videos for anybody who wants one w/ 100% of my proceeds going to #FirstRespondersFirst to raise money for the doctors & nurses risking their lives to save others,” says the woofy Olympian.

For those not familiar with Cameo, the website allows fans to connect with celebrities and purchase personalized video greetings for just about any occasion. Kenworthy says he’s only joining the site for a limited time during the COVID-19 isolation.

Donations to #FirstRespondersFirst will provide essential supplies, equipment and resources for protecting frontline healthcare workers and their patients.

In addition to doing the personalized videos, Kenworthy announced he will match whatever he raises up to $10,000.

You can find Gus Kenworthy’s Cameo page here.

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Gus Kenworthy: Gay Culture 101

Life in the Twitters.

Gus Kenworthy commented on a video posted on Twitter by YouTube star Tyler Oakley where a hot guy in the subway riffed on the current “Finish the lyric…” trend.

Said Kenworthy, “‘Oh damn he cute’ and then I realized that I’ve hooked up with him and if that is not gay culture I don’t know what is…”

#gaylife

(h/t kenneth-in-the-212)