Tag: LGBTQ Pride

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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 https://www.instagram.com/p/CKg2FIchBpt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • 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.

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Pride Ad Features Burger King Macking On Ronald McDonald

Burger King lays a whopper on Ronald McDonald in new Helsinki Pride ad (image via MediaPost)
In an effort to show support for Helsinki’s Pride week in Finland, fast-food chain Burger King is running a new ad campaign featuring the King himself laying a whopper on burger competitor Ronald McDonald. The usual Pride celebration has been canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, but there are smaller events being held live as well as online streams for folks to join. The ads feature a painting of the king tenderly kissing McDonald (who we see from behind) with a tagline, “Love Conquers All.” Kaisa Kasila, Burger King’s Brand Manager for Finland, said in a statement, “We thought, what a better way to convey our values than by portraying an all-encompassing kiss between Burger King and McDonald. We wanted to show that in the end, love always wins.” “Burger King has always stood for equality, love and everyone’s right to be just the way they are,” added Kasila. “The only instance where it might not seem so, is when we’re bantering with our competitor.”

No word yet on how McDonald’s feels about the ad spots, but Kasila underscored the message that “we want to be clear – it all stems from the respect we have for them. And we know McDonald’s stands for the values we stand for, too.” Burger King hasn’t been shy about jumping in with gusto when it comes to support for LGBTQ Pride. Earlier this year, the fast-food king served up ads changing the name of the restaurant to ‘Burger Queer’ on the King’s crown.

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Small Town Refused To Recognize Pride Month, So Folks Organized ‘Pride Ambush’

(all photos via Borderland Pride/Facebook)
This past May, the town council in Emo, Ontario – located near Canada’s border with Minnesota – voted down a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month in a 3-2 vote. Mayor Harold McQuaker and two of the town councilors voted against the resolution. The mayor explained that, in his opinion, it would be unfair to pass the resolution because – wait for it – there’s no “Straight Pride.” During the town council meeting discussing the resolution, McQuaker said: “We have one flagpole and there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.” The Northern Ontario Pride Network filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, saying that “homophobia was the only reason behind the decision to deny” the resolution. According to the complaint, the Pride resolution was approved in Emo in 2018. But in 2019, the town council removed “the resolution’s LGBTQ-supportive language and all references to LGBTQ people, and their inclusion and equality.” A statement in the complaint from the Northern Ontario Pride Network read in part, “In this day and age, it is unheard of for an Ontario municipality to defy the law and to refuse to recognize Pride in such a plainly discriminatory manner.”  BUT – here’s the good part: Even though the resolution recognizing Pride Month was voted down, LGBTQ activists – armed with rainbow flags, feather boas, and balloons – put together an “Emo ambush” Pride parade for the town this past Saturday. Douglas Judson, the co-chair of Borderland Pride, an umbrella organization that represents several Pride celebrations in towns near the Minnesota-Ontario border, worked out a secret plan between residents and businesses in the area to plan an “ambush event.” And so it was, over the weekend, that a 70-vehicle parade convoy carrying hundreds of supporters showed up in Emo.  Some of them lived nearby, others said they drove up to three hours to attend the event. Due to COVID-19, a traditional Pride march gave way to a COVID parade-style procession of decorated vehicles. Even with social distancing guidelines, the attendees set up booths, handed out Pride flags, and gave prizes for categories like “Emo Fair Queen 2020.” Judson told HuffPost Canada, “This was like something that brought joy to our community during a time when, frankly, we’re all kind of starving for a bit of human connection. That’s part of the exercise of Pride.” Judson, who grew up in Emo, added, “It exceeded our wildest expectations. It was really something to have people care that much about sending this message about the need for Pride in small communities.”

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Today: Two Amazing Pride Events For Theater Fans

As the last weekend of Pride Month 2020 comes to a close, make sure you check out these two terrific streaming Pride events today. Unfortunately, the two events overlap, but you get a fantastic experience with either one. First, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will sponsor a one-night-only streamed presentation of the 2013 multi-actor performance of David Drake’s Award-winning play – The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me – on June 28 at 7pm ET/4pm PT to benefit Provincetown Theater. After joining the activist group ACT UP, Drake began writing autobiographical monologues about the AIDS crisis that eventually became a one-man show about this critical point in American history.  Drake won an Obie Award for his work, and the original Off-Broadway run at the Perry Street Theatre, produced by Sean Strub and Tom Viola, became one of the longest-running solo shows in New York theatre history.  Comprised of seven monologues, the play explores many different stages in a gay man’s life, from childhood to adolescence, to adulthood, and travels through his personal timeline, from past, to present, to future. The soliloquies veer from hysterically funny (“Why I go to the Gym”) to deeply inspiring. In the piece, “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me,” Drake recalls in vivid detail attending a performance of Larry Kramer’s award-winning play, The Normal Heart and the impact of Kramer’s words on the soon-to-be activist. “As Larry Kramer was such a formative figure for me and several generations in the LGBTQ community, it seems absolutely appropriate to stream this virtual event as a salute to his towering legacy at the conclusion of Gay Pride Week on Sunday, June 28,” said Drake in a press statement. “Indeed, I believe the activism inherent in the piece also provides a great gatherer of the current manner in which Gay Prides are being celebrated this year—by joining forces with the Black Lives Matter movement in the march for unequivocal equality.” For its 20th anniversary in 2013, the celebrated solo show was re-imagined to feature an ensemble cast of twelve.

The 2013 cast of ‘The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me’ (photo: Monica Simoes)
Directed by Tony Award nominee Robert La Fosse, the cast in the archival video features playwright and Provincetown Theatre Artistic Director Drake, Tony winner André De Shields (Hadestown), Tony winner BD Wong (M. Butterfly), three-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesús (The Boys in the Band), Tony nominee Rory O’Malley (The Book of Mormon), Anthony Rapp (If/Then, Rent), and more. On a personal note, I want to add in 1991, while I was still working as an actor in NYC, I was cast as the standby for the original cast of the off-Broadway hit musical, Pageant. David Drake, who stopped the show nightly as ‘Miss Deep South, Lurinda Summerford,’ had in his contract a week’s leave for an early workshop production of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. So, when I was hired it was with the knowledge I would, at the very least, be going on in that role soon. #SQUEEEE!!! First of all, it was a thrill to go on in David’s brilliant role in Pageant. His performance is indelibly stamped on the role and the play forever. Thankfully I had the good sense God gave a goat and studied his blueprint thoroughly before I went on 🙂 But working with David, and observing the genesis of this stunning one-man show was a gift of inspiration. It was in watching David develop his Obie Award-winning play that I found my own awakening activism. It is impossible for me to underscore what a groundbreaking event his play was for me and thousands of theatergoers. The stream will be available at ProvincetownTheater.org and on YouTube. Although the stream is free, donations are encouraged to Provincetown Theater, which has canceled its operations through 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.

At the same time, Playbill’s Pride Plays ends its month-long series of primetime livestreams with a musical celebration, Playbill’s Pride Spectacular. Honoring iconic LGBTQIA+ musicals, creators, and musical performers, the Pride Spectacular will feature performances by a cavalcade of theater luminaries including (in alphabetical order) Jelani Alladin, Alexandra Billings, Billy Bustamante, Jenn Colella, DeMarius Copes, Wilson Cruz, Robin De Jesús, Lea DeLaria, Brandon Victor Dixon, Eden Espinosa, Niani Feelings, Harvey Fierstein, Gaby Gamache, Celia Rose Gooding, Matt Gould, James Harkness, Curtis Holland, Cheyenne Jackson, Jawan M. Jackson, Michael R. Jackson, Francis Jue, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Caitlin Kinnunen, L Morgan Lee, Raymond J. Lee, Matthew Lopez, Rick Lyon, Cheech Manohar, Matt Manuel, Griffin Matthews, Anastacia McCleskey, John McDaniel, Michael McElroy, John McGinty, Gerry McIntyre, Chris Medlin, Ezra Menas, Paul HeeSang Miller, John Cameron Mitchell, Mary Kate Morrissey, Javier Muñoz, Alan Muraoka, Shakina Nayfack, Ariana Notartomaso, Diana Oh, Ken Page, Lauren Patten, Clint Ramos, Jelani Remy, Matt Rodin, Jai Rodriguez, Mj Rodriguez, Mars Rucker, Sushma Saha, George Salazar, Miriam Shor, Jason Tam, John Tartaglia, Sonya Tayeh, Sergio Trujillo, Vishal Vaidya, Nik Walker, BD Wong, Iain Young,and Brittany Zeinstra. The 90-minute musical evening includes accompaniment by Dan Berkery, Justin Craig, Charity Wicks-DePinto, Matt Gould, Emmy and Grammy Award winner John McDaniel, and Meg Zervoulis and appearances by Matthew Lopez, Clint Ramos, Sonya Tayeh, and Sergio Trujillo. I hope that you will support the essential work of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Please join the incredible lineup of Pride Plays artists in making a lifesaving difference for men, women and children across the country affected by COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses and crises. Your generosity will help provide lifesaving medications, nutritious meals, housing, emergency assistance and other vital services. Hit this link to watch Playbill’s Pride Spectacular. The video player will be posted at this link at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT.

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Pride Music: June 27, 2020

It’s the last weekend of Pride 2020, and since we can’t get out on an actual dance floor here’s new music to bop to from Lizzo and the Fab 5, Ariana and the Rose, The Aces, GRiZ and Sara Bareilles. • Self-care queen Lizzo teams up with the men of Queer Eye for the music video for her hip-hop/pop tune, “Soulmate.” The colorful video is an animated Pride-themed romp with the Fab 5 as Lizzo picnics with Bobby, throws a corgi party with Antoni and throws down a pole dance with Karamo.

• Ariana and the Rose serve up an inclusive, colorful celebration of all kinds of love with “True Love.” The synth-pop dance track is a bouncy bop, and the video features six diverse, real-life couples spanning the diverse spectrums of race, age and sexuality. Ariana DiLorenzo, the band’s frontwoman, is a “proud and fierce ally for the LGBTQ community,” and told NewNowNext that performing at Pride events, lending her voice as a soundtrack to the celebrations, “is an honor.”

• “Daydream” is the latest single from Utah-based all-girl pop/rock band The Aces. While the infectious track is about long-distance lovers, the tune can easily relate to the distance many of us are feeling during the ongoing pandemic. The band, launched by queer sisters Cristal and Alisa Ramirez, decided to make the video about the crew out on a summer adventure rather than a too “on-the-nose” tribute to romance.

• Multi-instrumentalist and producer GRiZ releases his new single, “Medusa,” featuring DJ and producer Wreckno. What he coins his ‘queer anthem banger’ is a bass-fueled, hip-hop-laden slice of empowerment, created to uplift the underrepresented LGBTQIA+ voices in dance music. In celebration of Pride Month, “Medusa” is a message to queer kids encouraging them to embrace exactly who they are. (Explicit lyrics).

• And finally, Sara Bareilles covers the title track from the Grammy/Emmy Award-winning TV special, “Free To Be…You And Me.” Bareilles’s pure, soulful voice is perfect for the folk/pop tune. Created by actress and activist Marlo Thomas (That Girl) in 1972, the iconic album, book, and television special was the first anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-judgment entertainment for children. All proceeds for the project will benefit NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Fans of the song will notice the new version of the includes two lyric changes. The word “children” has been changed to “people” in one of the song’s main refrains. And, in order to better embrace the non-binary community, a lyric that referred to ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ growing up to be ‘men’ and ‘women’ was rewritten: “Every child in this land, may you all understand, that you’re proud and you’re strong and you are right where you belong.”

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News Round-Up: June 24, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • CBS Sports: Major League Baseball is set to return starting either July 23 or 24, the league has announced. It’s worth noting that 40 MLB players and staff members reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days. • Billboard: Former President Barack Obama is set to deliver a special message to the LGBTQ community for the 3rd annual Stonewall Day virtual event. He will be joined by major stars such as Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and more, who will be offering their own messages of support, while pop superstars Kesha and Hayley Kiyoko will take to the digital stage for special performances. The Stonewall Day 2020 livestream on Logo’s YouTube and Facebook pages from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 26. • NewNowNext: Also on Friday, the cast of FX’s Pose will reunite for “Pose-A-Thon,” a commercial-free, one-hour online kiki with the cast and creative team of Pose. The event will raise awareness for three LGBTQ organizations: GLSEN, Hetrick-Martin Institute, and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. The “Pose-A-Thon” will air Friday, June 26 at 10pm ET on FX, Freeform, and the “Pose-A-Thon” website. • New Music: Lauv drops a surprise new EP titled Without You. The 4 tracks were all written and produced during quarantine. The global hottie also releases the quarantine made video for “Dishes,” the totally chill-vibe lead track for the EP. p.s. He also recently launched Breaking Modern Loneliness, an episodic podcast where each episode is a new open forum discussion on all things human relationships, mental health, and technology.

• Zillow: The massive real estate website has announced all Zillow listings will now provide information regarding local LGBTQ protections to help home buyers and renters identify which communities provide protection for all. Currently, only 22 states and the District of Columbia have laws against housing discrimination that include sexual orientation and gender identity. • Reuters: American approval of Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has dropped to the lowest level on record since Reuters/Ipsos polls started asking the question at the beginning of March. With new COVID-19 cases surging, 58 percent said they disapproved. • Out: Actor and activist Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life, Star Trek: Discovery) offers this subtle reminder that at the young age of 46-years-old, he ain’t playing.

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Podcast: Supreme Court Victory, Virtual Pride Events, What To Watch This Week

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this special “All Good Gay News” Pride Edition podcast: • The US Supreme Court rules LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace is illegal • A federal judge ruled the daughter of a same-sex married couple was indeed born a US citizen after the State Dept tried to claim she was “born out of wedlock” • Pride celebrations may have been canceled, but here’s a list of virtual Pride events you can attend from your own home HBO’s ‘Human By Orientation’ Them’s ‘Out Now Live’ Global Pride 2020 • Two awesome coming out stories – one from a Grammy-nominated recording artist, another from a world-class athlete • What to watch this week including Netflix’s ‘The Politician,’ HBO’s ‘Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn’ and the Obie Award-winning ‘The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me’ All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.