‘Barbie’ Box Office Bonanza + Tony Bennett + More News

Tony Bennett
Master of the American Songbook – Tony Bennett (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • GR8erDays: I join the rest of the world in mourning the loss of music legend Tony Bennett. I haven’t posted about his passing yet because I wanted to write a worthy remembrance of him. I encourage you to read Matt Rettenmund’s excellent look-back on the amazing life of the master of the American songbook. Continue reading “‘Barbie’ Box Office Bonanza + Tony Bennett + More News”

Budapest Pride + Banning Books In Kansas + More News

U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman at the annual Budapest Pride march in Budapest, Hungary (screen capture via U.S. Embassy to Hungary Twitter)
Some news items you might have missed: • Washington Blade: Out gay U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman was among the more than 35,000 people who participated in the annual Budapest Pride march that took place amid fears right-wing protesters would disrupt it. Continue reading “Budapest Pride + Banning Books In Kansas + More News”

Hungary Fines Bookseller $36K For Selling LGBTQ Young Adult Novel

(image via Depositphotos)
The Hungarian government has fined one of the countries largest booksellers over $35,000 for making the acclaimed coming-of-age LGBTQ graphic novel Heartstopper available without “closed packaging.” Continue reading “Hungary Fines Bookseller $36K For Selling LGBTQ Young Adult Novel”

News: Record Number Of Anti-LGBTQ Bills + More

A man has been charged with threatening to destroy a Pride flag displayed at a shopping mall in Massachusetts. Some news stories you might have missed: • The Advocate: A man has been charged with threatening to destroy a Pride flag displayed at a shopping mall in Massachusetts. He said he would shoot down and burn the flag if it were not removed within three days. Continue reading “News: Record Number Of Anti-LGBTQ Bills + More”

News Round-Up: April 5, 2022

In a first for a U.S. president, President Biden met with lawmakers with the congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus
President Joe Biden met with the congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus
Some news stories you might have missed: • Washington Blade: In a first for a U.S. president, President Biden met with lawmakers with the congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus, which includes each of the openly gay and lesbian members in the U.S. House and serves as the face of the LGBTQ movement in Congress. Continue reading “News Round-Up: April 5, 2022”

News Round-Up: July 21, 2021

Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: The Department of Labor and the Department of Treasury have released new guidance that mandates almost all insurance companies within the U.S. must make PrEP, the HIV prevention pill otherwise known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, free with no cost-sharing. • The Advocate: A federal judge in West Virginia issued an injunction Wednesday against the state’s law barring transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams for their gender identity. “At this point, I have been provided with scant evidence that this law addresses any problem at all, let alone an important problem,” the judge wrote. • YouTube: Texas real estate agent Kelci Cashman and her children were removed from a plane in Orlando heading to Dallas when she went on a homophobic rant and refused to wear her mask. The crowd cheered when she finally left the plane.

Reuters: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban stepped up a culture war with the European Union today by announcing a referendum on legislation that bans the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change at schools. • PBS: COVID-19 cases tripled in the U.S. over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fray. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 6. • NPR: A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday. The charges included one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with other felony and misdemeanor counts related to the fire.

News Round-Up: June 30, 2021

The House of Representatives voted to create a select committee to investigate the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building

The House of Representatives voted to create a select committee to investigate the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building Some news items you might have missed: • CNN: Only 2 GOP members of the House – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois – voted in favor of a select committee to investigate the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building where 5 Americans died and over 100 police officers were injured. Republicans said the investigation would just be a means to attack Donald Trump. But before the 2016 election, Republicans held 6 investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack which left 4 Americans died. • Instinct Magazine: Lil Nas X released a teaser video for his upcoming album “Montero” that parodies the trailers of Marvel super hero films complete with symphonic music and “universe” of characters.

Bloomberg: The European Union plans to announce legal actions against Hungary and Poland over discriminatory, anti-LGBTQ laws passed in the two conservative countries. • Out Music: Let’s dance our way out on the last day of Pride Month with the latest from Vincint, “Kill My Heart,” from his new album There Will Be Tears. The dance floor-filler is a defiant clap back to that ex that think they won something.

OUT: Professional rugby player Jack Dunne came out as bisexual over the weekend. The 22-year-old, who’s been out to friends and family, said he was coming out publicly to be a role model for other questioning young athletes. • Queerty: After sharing photos from a recent shoot for CAP 74024 magazine with his husband, Jwan, Ricky Martin was surprised to see he’d lost a significant number of social media followers. He had something to say about it: “Fear no longer paralyzes me.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CQrjuFtt_gD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link