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InstaHunk Round-Up: Pride Weekend Edition

CBS News journalist Thomas Hanson

Checking in with the Hunks of Instagram this Pride weekend.

First up, CBS News journalist Thomas Hanson (above) reflects on the gospel of RuPaul this Pride Month.

‘Daddy’ Facundo Rodriguez wished every a Happy Pride complete with a mega-Pride wall:

Bolu Okupe waved his rainbows high (and low) in Paris:

Speaking of Pride flags, Andrew Keenan-Bolger gave respect to all the flags in the Pride universe:

Quincy took the Pride rainbow to his famous beard:

Brooklyn’s Brownstone Boys put their Pride right out front:

Broadway’s Nick Adams got down with his disco balls for Pride:

Artist Anthony Varrecchia made out with a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles at the Stonewall Inn:

Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, celebrated Pride at the White House:

Ignacio Pérez Rey made a funny down in Panama:

Pierre Vuala took a ride on a dragon:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQmBv2BrQH0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

CrossFitter Dan Tai got out to nature (those are some serious calves, y’all…)

Former Army Captain Roberto Portales reminds folks to “adopt, not shop” when it comes to furry family members:

And my guy Brody sends his sassiest rainbow barks for a bright Pride:

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Instanbul Police Fire Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets At Pride Participants

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at participants of an LGBTQ Pride event in Instanbul

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at participants of an LGBTQ Pride event in Instanbul
(screen capture via Global News)

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at participants of a Pride March in Instanbul on Saturday, arresting 25 people.

Among those detained was AFP photographer Bulent Kilic.

From Deutsche Welle:

While thousands gathered peacefully in Berlin, Paris, London, Rome, Milan and elsewhere in Europe for Pride parades, the authorities in Istanbul reacted with a heavy hand to those who gathered in the central Beyoglu district of Istanbul.

The march participants comprised several civil society groups that gathered under the motto “the street is ours.” Footage and photos of demonstrators showed some being pushed and dragged by riot police on Istiklal Avenue in the heart of the city.

Images posted on social media showed photographer Kilic pressed to the ground with police holding him down with their knees.

Reporters Without Borders in Turkey tweeted in support of Kilic, demanding his immediate release. AFP reported Kilic had been released later in the evening.

Authorities in Instanbul have banned Pride events since 2014 when 100,000 showed up for the festivities. Officials say “public safety” was a concern.


It’s been a rough year for LGBTQ advocates in Turkey as elected officials have grown more and more vocal in their opposition to queer communities.

“There is no such thing as LGBT,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in February during an address to his party. “This country is national, spiritual and walking toward the future with these values.”

In March, Erdoğan abandoned the landmark Instanbul Convention because it “normalizes homosexuality.”

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This Is Pride Joy: ‘I Am What I Am’ Dance Redux Featuring J. Harrison Ghee

J. Harrison Ghee in 'I Am What I Am'
J. Harrison Ghee in 'I Am What I Am'
J. Harrison Ghee in ‘I Am What I Am’

As we celebrate the last weekend of Pride Month 2021, hit play and bounce-bounce-bounce along with this totally infectious remix of that gayest of gay anthems, ‘I Am What I Am.”

Broadway legend Jerry Herman delivered unto us his glorious theme song of self-love in his 1983 Broadway blockbuster, La Cage aux Folles. And while there have been many disco-tastic takes on the upbeat theme bop, this takes Pride joy over the top!

J. Harrison Ghee and company serve up some seriously up-to-date beatsbeatsbeats along with some subtle (but recognizable) shades of characters from Broadway musicals and plays.

Victor Borbolla and Javi Perez as ‘Tony and Maria’

I spy some Dorothy Gale & Toto (Wizard of Oz), Tony & Maria (West Side Story), Jenna and Dr. Pomatter (Waitress), Danny & Sandy (Grease), Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!), Joseph (of Dreamcoat fame), Les Miz patriots and more. Plus, there are cameos by Marti Cummings, Ianne Fields Stewart, and Davon Williams.

The whole magilla was directed & produced by Jimmy Larkin; James Alonzo White delivers fierce choreography; and Devin Lewis skillfully handles music production duties.

And let’s hear it for the terrific company that represents in all-shapes, all-sizes, all-ages, all-shades of rainbow Pride joy!

A little Les Miz anyone…?

Dancers: Nick Alvino, Andrew Avila, Keely Beirne, Bo Belza, Michael Ivan Carrier, Michael Graceffa, Abigail Isom, Derek Johnson, Andre Malcolm, Jarred Manista, Ryan Miller, Stanley Munoz, Anthony Murphy, Myke Myklegard, Tony Neal, Lucas Parada, Dobbin Pinkney, Becca Robinson, Lexie Sahagian, Hamly Tavarez, Spencer James Weidie.

Also featuring: Jeff Heimbrock, Brian Martin, Sean Potter, Tony Tillman, Liz Pryce Davies, Nick Eibler, Kerri George, Jonathan Gomolka, Lindsay Griffin, Jay Grogan, Evan Lacombe, Laura McCormack, Yassi Noubahar, Devon Perry, Karen Joy Pangantihon, Aidan Triola, and Bradley Allan Zarr.

As regular readers of The Randy Report may recall, I knew and worked with Jerry Herman. I know he would have LOVED this.

Bravo!

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Trump Supporter Charged In Defacing Pride Memorial

Alexander Jerich has rejected a plea deal and requested a trial by jury regarding charges of defacing a gay pride streetscape. Video footage of the incident went viral, so it's hard to imagine how a jury could find him innocent.
Alexander Jerich (mug shot)

Incidents like this really beg the question “What were they thinking???”

Alexander Jerich, 20, turned himself in to the police Thursday afternoon after cellphone video went viral showing him purposely defacing the LGBTQ Pride rainbow walk in Delray Beach earlier this week.

CBS12 News reports Jerich was charged with criminal mischief over $1,000, reckless driving, and evidence of prejudice (felony enhancement).

Under a new law (Section 806.135, Florida Statutes “Destroying or demolishing a memorial or historic property”), this would be considered a 2nd degree felony. Jerich could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Nicholas Coppola is a member of the Palm Beach County LGBTQ Community Center in Lake Worth Beach, and one of the leaders behind this rainbow artwork that was years in the making.

“There are many things that indicate this is a hate crime targeted against the community,” Coppola said. “I hate to say I was saddened, but not surprised. There’s a part of me that expected it. Unfortunately, we deal with this every day.”

The city had just unveiled the new intersection on Saturday. The artwork was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando five years ago.

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Twitterverse Claps Back As GOP Chair Attempts Pride Tweet

Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

The chairwoman for the GOP, Ronna McDaniel, attempted to send some sort of pro-LGBTQ message for Pride Month.

“Happy #PrideMonth!” wrote McDaniel. “@GOP is proud to have doubled our LGBTQ support over the last 4 years, and we will continue to grow our big tent by supporting measures that promote fairness and balance protections for LGBTQ Americans and those with deeply held religious beliefs.”

Let’s just say it didn’t go well…

Many in the Twitterverse, including Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, chimed in with their thoughts on how ‘big tent’ the Republican party truly is.

As Chasten tweeted, “Re-visit your party’s platform before you open your mouth about pride…”

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What To Do When Homeowners Association Says ‘No Pride Flag’

Pride flag flies in the breeze

Pride flag flies in the breeze

While living in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association (HOA) can often ensure your neighbors probably won’t be painting their house Martian green (no offense to Martians), sometimes the rules can inadvertently step on well-meaning toes.

A Redditor recently posted that their HOA had recently revised the rules regarding flags being displayed outside residents’ homes.

“Due to some neighbors flying BLM flags, thin blue line flags, and other opinion flags, our HOA decided last month that we’re only allowed to fly the USA flag, and nothing else,” wrote the poster. “The day after the decision, we received an email that someone reported our Pride flag (that we had on our house since 2016), and that we needed to take it down. We complied and removed the flag.”

But wait – there’s more!

The poster went on to share that they sat down and studied the full set of rules regarding what is and is not allowable in adorning their house. It turns out removable lights are “permitted without restriction.”

So the intrepid Redditor went out and bought several flood lights and bathed the entire home in rainbow pride colors.

Here’s the result:

House lit up in rainbow lights during Pride Month
(image via Imgur)

The post has received over 81,000 upvotes and 6,000+ comments.

Here’s just a few of the supportive comments on the thread:

“It looks far more beautiful than just a flag. Bravo on your fabulous compliance!”

“Call that Home-O-Sexuality”

“This is awesome. F*ck HOAs”

“No Home-of-Phobia allowed”

“Woah. The lighting is much better than a simple flag imo”

Readers – have you ever been told to remove a rainbow flag or other Pride symbols from your home? If so, what did you do?

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News Round-Up: May 20, 2021

Lego is issuing its first-ever rainbow set for Pride 2021
(image via Lego)

Some news items you might have missed:

• NBC News: Lego is kicking off LGBTQ Pride month by releasing a special set, called “Everyone is Awesome,” that celebrates the diversity of its fans. This is the first time in Lego’s 72-year history that it is releasing an official LGBTQ Pride set.

• The Hill: Coronavirus vaccinations in Ohio jumped 28 percent in the days following the governor’s announcement of a lottery for residents who get the shots, state health officials said Thursday. Residents who have been vaccinated will be eligible for five drawings of $1 million each.

• Kenneth-in-the-212: Six foot seven doctoral candidate Aidyn asks if he’s “still a big boy” as this week’s ‘Mask4Masc’ feature. #woof

• New York Times: The Times editorial board penned an op-ed calling the decision by Pride organizers in NYC that police officers would not be allowed to march in the annual Pride parade until 2025 a ‘misstep.’ I agree.

• Right Wing Watch: QAnon Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) falsely claimed in an interview that Texas has not reported a single COVID-19 death since the state lifted all restrictions over two months ago. ACTUALLY, the Texas Department of State Health Services reports more than 3,400 people have died of COVID-19 since the state removed all restrictions two months ago.

• OUT: It seems folks who hadn’t seen (or didn’t know much about) the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen were under the impression it was about a gay high school student after the official trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation dropped yesterday. p.s. it’s not

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New Docu-Series From FX: ‘PRIDE’

Logo for the new LGBTQ docuseries PRIDE on FX

Decades of struggle, revolution, and love.

FX’s new six-part documentary, PRIDE, premieres May 14 at 8pm on FX, next day on FX on Hulu.

From the official description:

Featuring little-known characters such as Madeleine Tress or 1980s videographer Nelson Sullivan who chronicled a vanishing downtown New York City during the AIDS epidemic, the series also features international figures such as Civil Rights pioneer Bayard Rustin, writer Audre Lorde and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Lester Hunt.

The evolution of trans rights and identities through the decades is charted through interviews and archival footage of pioneers including Christine Jorgensen, Flawless Sabrina, Ceyenne Doroshow, Susan Stryker, Kate Bornstein, Dean Spade and Raquel Willis.

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Biden Administration To Allow Embassies To Fly Pride Flags

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has authorized all U.S. diplomatic outposts and embassies to fly the rainbow Pride flag based on what is ‘appropriate in light of local conditions.’”

The new policy is a sharp reversal from the Trump administration which prohibited the presentation of Pride flags.

Via Foreign Policy:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a blanket authorization for U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world to fly the Pride flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag at their embassy or consulate showcasing support for LGBTQ rights.

In a confidential cable reviewed by Foreign Policy and sent to diplomatic posts around the world, Blinken gave authority for diplomats to fly the Pride flag before May 17, which marks the international day against homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia, as well as June, which in the United States and many other countries is Pride month.

To be clear, the authorization is not an ‘order,’ but ‘permission’ allowing diplomats to do as appropriate per the location of the embassy.

Anti-LGBTQ conservative Franklin Graham has already whined about the news on his Facebook page writing,, “Just because something is ‘authorized,’ that doesn’t make it right!”

“Why should a flag representing one group of people and a specific agenda be literally raised up above all others and allowed to fly at our embassies and consulates?”

#HatersGonnaHate

 

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Man Dies While Attending Unofficial Atlanta Pride Dance Event

(photo by Maurício Mascaro via Pexels)

While Atlanta Pride organizers decided to hold a series of virtual Pride events this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were still some unofficial live dance events where video and photos of shirtless men dancing shoulder to shoulder made their way onto social media.

One party-goer died early Sunday morning at one of the unofficial events.

From The Advocate:

Emergency workers had attempted to resuscitate the man, who was found unconscious at the club BJ Roosters; he had passed out in the venue’s basement earlier in the morning after consuming the drug ecstasy, said his partner. Atlanta police found no signs of foul play, but an investigation is ongoing.

The event held early Sunday morning at BJ Roosters, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., was Xion, a gay circuit party thrown by Ga Boy Events. The group had organized several unofficial events during Atlanta Pride weekend, including a Saturday night party at the Underground Atlanta mall with Danny Verde and an event at District Atlanta with Nina Flowers.

One of Xion’s attendees, who asked to remain anonymous, forwarded a statement to The Advocate claiming that pandemic guidelines were not being enforced at the event, which was “packed” with hundreds of guests to “overcapacity at times.”

The victim was apparently in crisis for over 30 minutes with an onlooker performing CPR before paramedics showed up. The witness also told The Advocate that he’d attended parties all over the world and never been to one without EMTs standing by.