Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were joined by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton at a ceremony in New York City commemorating the 20th anniversary of the deadly 9/11 attacks. Continue reading “On The 20th Anniversary Of The 9/11 Attacks”
(image via the US embassy in Russia)Some news items you might have missed:
• The Gaily Grind: The U.S. embassy in Russia (above), along with the British and Canadian embassies, hoisted rainbow Pride flags on their buildings in Moscow, defying the country’s “gay propaganda” law signed by Vladimir Putin in 2013.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: Former gay porn guy Paul Wagner is reportedly attempting a comeback on OnlyFans. More at the link.
• New York Post: Reps for Donald Trump approached the social media platform Parler in January with an offer to have the then-president move his social media presence to the platform in exchange for 40 percent of the company’s gross revenues and a promise to “ban anyone who spoke negatively about him.” The owners said ‘no.’
• CBS News: Champlain Towers South was reportedly facing $15M in repairs before it collapsed on June 24. A 2018 engineering report warned of damage to the concrete, and a contractor gave multiple photos to the Miami Herald showing evidence of corrosion and cracks in the building just days before the collapse.
• Edge Media: The Spanish Cabinet on Tuesday passed a draft bill on LGBTI rights that will seek parliamentary approval to allow transgender people over 16 to freely change their gender and name without doctors or witnesses intervening in the process.
• Vogue Magazine: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden covers the August issue of Vogue Magazine. Annie Leibovitz snapped the gorgeous cover image and Jonathan Van Meter wrote the article titled, “A First Lady For All Of Us.”
.@flotus @drbiden stars on the cover of our August issue! Read the full profile: https://t.co/nxKE4csnjT pic.twitter.com/gopBPIxCff
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) June 29, 2021
In this week’s headlines:
• For the first time in five years, the LGBTQ community not only received full-throated support from the man in the Oval Office, but President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris all issued video greetings to LGBTQ Americans for Pride Month
• Congress votes to make Pulse Nightclub a national memorial
• Gay men in the UK will have an easier time donating blood
• A bakery in Texas experienced hideous homophobia for saying ‘Happy Pride’ and then the internet stepped in
• Eli Lieb drops the perfect anthem for Pride Month ‘Boys Who Like Boys’
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill BidenIn a special Pride Month message, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden wish all of us a bright and happy Pride.
The Bidens note that Pride represents many things: defiance in the face of injustice, courage to live our truth, and justice as in the Supreme Court ruling which made marriage equality the law of the land.
But above all else – Pride stands for love.
At the beginning of the month, the president issued the first proclamation acknowledging Pride Month in five years.
Brody on the lookoutSome news items you might have missed:
• Brody Watch: Just to let you know – we are soooooooo safe thanks to our fearless pup (above). Brody has no fear it seems other than not getting enough attention 🙂
• NBC News: Lawmakers in North Carolina have introduced a bill that would prevent doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery for anyone under 21. Senate Bill 514 would also compel state employees to notify parents if their child displays “gender nonconformity” or expresses a desire to be treated in a way other than the gender they were assigned at birth.
• USA Today: First lady Jill Biden, the military mom in the White House, is working with Joining Forces which helps military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors get the support they need. After weeks of listening sessions with military families, Biden said her priorities will focus on employment and entrepreneurship, military child education and health and well-being.
• Daily Beacon: A Tennessee lawmaker has proposed a bill that would prohibit the use of any materials in schools that, in the language of the bill, “promote, normalize, support or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles.” Opponents say erasing LGBTQ people from history books would send the message to queer kids that they arent’ “normal.”
• CNN: At least one of the Capitol riot defendants has flipped against the Proud Boys, agreeing to provide information that could allow the Justice Department to bring a more severe charge against the group’s leadership. The development is the first indication that people charged in the insurrection are cooperating against the pro-Trump extremist group.
• Instagram: Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman is the first-ever poet to grace the cover of Vogue Magazine – and when I say ‘grace’….I mean GRACE. #gorgeous
Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy in ‘Breaking Fast’Some news items you might have missed:
• Pink News: First lady Dr Jill Biden is visiting an LGBTQ health center and HIV/AIDS clinic on her third day in the White House “to highlight and promote support services for cancer patients and caregivers, and hear about the impact of COVID on access to health care, including cancer screenings and prevention efforts.”
• Queer Cinema: The gay-themed romantic comedy Breaking Fast, starring Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy (lead image), gets released today on VOD and digital outlets. The acclaimed film offers rare visibility for gay Muslims.
Set against the twinkling lights of West Hollywood, Breaking Fast is a romantic comedy that follows Mo, a practicing Muslim still reeling from heartbreak. When an All-American guy named Kal offers to join him in his nightly Iftars –the traditional meal eaten by Muslims during Ramadan– meal after meal, the two start to discover they have more in common than meets the eye.
• Boston Herald: Mark Sahady, 46, of Malden, and Suzanne Ianni, 59, – organizer’s of Boston’s so-called ‘Straight Pride’ event – were arrested for taking part in the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. Because of course.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like Michigan’s BTL featuring Brian Michael Smith (below).
• The Nation: Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) has misled the public about training for the Paralympics, just as he misrepresented his education and business history. After saying he “had an opportunity” for the Paralympics with hopes of breaking the 100-meter dash, journalists took a deep dive and couldn’t find any evidence he’d ever competed anywhere.
• Instinct Magazine: YouTube star Jojo Siwa (Dance Moms, Nickelodeon) came out via a photo on Twitter.
My cousin got me a new shirt pic.twitter.com/DuHhgRto7b
— JoJo Siwa!🌈❤️🎀 (@itsjojosiwa) January 22, 2021