Tag: news round-up

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News Round-Up: May 2, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Yes, in case you were wondering, folks do make passes at guys who wear glasses. Especially if you look like Germany’s Obaid Habibi (above).

• The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a resolution to recognize the South of Market neighborhood as the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, ensuring the location will remain an LGBTQ haven protected from overzealous gentrification efforts.

• The oh-so-handsome Jake Gyllenhaal will portray gay legendary composer (West Side Story, Candide) and conductor Leonard Bernstein in an upcoming film The American. Gyllenhaal is also set to produce the pic.

• As the Boy Scouts prepare to welcome girls into the organization, they are dropping the word ‘boy’ from the name of its signature program. Boy Scouts, which includes kids from 10 to 17, will become Scouts BSA in February.

• Anthony Shelton 20, and Cameron Ajiduah, 19, were sentenced to 20 and 15 years in prison, respectively, after having been found guilty of federal hate-crimes charges for assaulting and robbing gay men in four home invasions in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The two men used the dating app Grindr to target their victims.

• The two black men who were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting for a business colleague have settled with city officials for a symbolic $1 plus the promise to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs.

• And how about one more shot from “Hunk of the Day,” Mr. Obaid Habibi…

A post shared by O B A I D 🐻 (@obaid_habibi) on Apr 19, 2018 at 9:18am PDT

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News Round-Up: April 24, 2018

InstaHunk Liam Jolley makes nap time a lot more appealing...
(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• UK fitness model Liam Jolley makes the idea of nap time a whole lot more appealing…

• Seventy-three year-old multi-millionaire Edward Bazinet married 30-year-old Brett Jordan just 10 months before his death. It will probably not surprise you Bazinet’s family is fighting Jordan’s possible inheritance of $32 million.

• Miss America 2005, Deidre Downs Gunn, married her girlfriend, attorney Abbott Jones, in a ceremony Saturday at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Congrats to the happy couple!

• White House adviser Kellyanne Conway was asked why she thought First Lady Melania Trump hasn’t been featured on magazine covers like Michelle Obama was during her time in the White House. Conway’s response? “Melania Trump is such a superior and excellent First Lady.” The word “superior” when comparing a white woman to a black woman is an interesting choice.

• This will be sure to piss off the haters – Disney now has rainbow Pride “Mickey Mouse” ears:

• Back in 2015, Indiana pizzeria Memories Pizza made headlines when the owners told local press that they would never cater a same-sex wedding in response to the state’s “religious freedom and restoration act.” Glenn Beck helped spearhead a campaign to raise almost $850K for the homophobic owners. Fast forward to today – the pizza joint has now posted an out-of-business sign.

• Parkland shooting survivors Cameron Kasky and David Hogg got the attention of the Twitterverse when openly gay Kasky posted the pic below with the caption “Prom 2018.”

Not sure if they are attending together, but gay + straight sure looks great 🙂

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News Round-Up: April 20, 2018

(Image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• My totes woofy pal in the South, handsome Joe Woolley (above), is giving you full-on gay rainbow action as he looks to the weekend. Joe and his hubby Jim are big deal LGBTQ activists in Nashville, TN, where we can always use the help.

• Openly gay teacher Michael Hill began receiving threatening letters after coming out last fall. “You need to be fired and you can take your gay ideas with you. Fags are not welcome in our schools.”

• It looks like GLEE alum Kevin McHale finally came out via a tweet about Ariana Grande’s new single, “No Tears Left To Cry.”

• The Democratic Party has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks organization alleging a far-reaching conspiracy to disrupt the 2016 campaign and tilt the election to Donald Trump. #TooLate

• Out journalist Thomas Roberts has announced he is donating $25,000 – his fee for hosting the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Russia – to the Human Rights Campaign.

• The White House has revealed no Democrats or members of the media will be invited to Donald Trump’s first state dinner hosting French President Emmanuel Macron. #NoSoupForYou!

• Where The Bears Are star Ian Parks reminded me of his admittedly “gratuitous” video from a few years ago. I can watch a few times 🙂

Happy Friday!

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News Round-Up: April 19, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Sometimes it’s a good idea to look back – as fitness athlete Pierre Vuala (above) makes abundantly clear. #TBT

• The woman who launched a homophobic attack on two female soldiers is now banned from the restaurant where the incident took place, and she’s lost her part-time gig teaching at a local college.

• This gay Canadian man thought losing 70 pounds would bring him joy. Turns out, not so much.

• The cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of Boys In The Band donned pink triangle t-shirts in honor of The AIDS Memorial.

• The first Quinnipiac University poll for this year’s race for Sen. Ted Cruz’s seat in the U.S. Senate is in a statistical dead heat with Rep. Beto O’Rourke (Texas), his Democratic challenger, only 3 points behind Cruz 47%/44%. O’Rourke has raised $6.7 million compared to Cruz’s $3.2 million in campaign donations.

• Lobbyists at the anti-LGBT organizations the Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council were secretly involved in drafting the Trump administration’s policy banning transgender military service members. And now those same folks are hopping mad because their communications have been subpoenaed which could reveal to the world their hateful statements.

• Fraternity brothers at a joint-hosted Phi Gamma Delta and Kappa Sigma Xi-Lambda off-campus party last Friday broke the leg of a gay man in an alleged homophobic attack. Watch the report below.

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News Round-Up: April 17, 2018

Christian Olivo

Some news items you might have missed:

• Actor, model and man-in-motion Christian Olivo (above) already had my “abs-olute” attention but then sealed the deal with an 80s caption – “Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?” Photography by David Wagner

• A gay music teacher in Burlington, Illinois, was reprimanded after his husband sent him flowers on Valentine’s Day. Now, if it had been his wife, do you think anyone would have said anything?

• Last of a dying breed, moderate Republican Congressman Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania surprised many today with his announcement that he will retire in a matter of weeks. Back in December, Dent had shared he planned to leave office after the November mid-terms this fall. I’m not sure what happened that led him to depart early.

• JoeMyGod notes that not one anti-LGBT bill has passed in state legislatures this year. But Joe rightfully points out the looming SCOTUS ruling on the anti-gay Masterpiece Bakery ruling which could have a huge impact on LGBT rights.

• A new video series, “No Longer Alone,” highlights queer voices from the Middle East and North Africa.

• A 23-year-old man in the UK says the painkiller Lyrica turned him gay.

Hello, Walmart, I’d like to order a case of Lyrica to be delivered to Chris Pratt…

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News Round-Up: April 11, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Since its Hump Day I’m starting this round with two – count’em two – InstaHunks as there’s a birthday in the house as Alex Abramov celebrates #31 with bf Brett Miles (above).

•  Illinois lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require public schools to include teaching the accomplishments of LGBT folks in history classes much like current laws that require students learn about other groups such as African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans.

• John Sherman at Buzzfeed has penned an interesting essay wondering if gay media is still focusing on gay acceptance (i.e. Love, Simon) instead of celebrating queer difference? Sherman brings up some points I hadn’t considered. Def worth the read.

• The raid on Donald Trump’s personal lawyer’s office and home specifically looked for documents regarding the now infamous “Grab’em by the pussy” Trump video from Access Hollywood. Political experts posit the investigation may be looking into payments to silence women who might have affected Trump’s electoral chances in 2016.

• A federal judge in Texas ruled last week that Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 which bans sex discrimination, also bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• This week we got our first look at Anything, a story about love and acceptance that follows widower Early (John Caroll Lynch) after his move to LA in the aftermath of the death of his wife. Early finds an unlikely friend in his neighbor, Freda, who is a transgender sex worker.

While the film’s premise is welcome, folks have raised concerns about the casting of Matt Bomer, a cisgender man, as the trans character Freda.

Watch the trailer below.

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News Round-Up: April 10, 2018

WWE star Fin Balor

Some news items you might have missed:

• WWE wrestler and LGBT ally Fin Balor is totally on my InstaHunk radar now, and it’s easy to why 😉

• Add Hawaii to the list of state’s moving to outlaw so-called “ex-gay therapy.” SB-270 has been approved by both the state Senate and House. Due to amendments made in the House, the bill goes to conference before heading to the governor’s desk for his signature.

• Following the success of teen coming-out romantic comedy Love, Simon, Netflix has announced a new gay high school rom-com titled “Alex Strangelove” from producer Ben Stiller set to debut June 8.

• Five years ago, Michael Johnson was accused of “recklessly” exposing multiple partners with HIV while he was a college student and sentenced to 30 years in prison by a jury stacked with white, HIV-negative heterosexuals, most of whom said they thought being gay was “a sin.” His parole has been granted but he won’t be released for another 18 months.

•  Remember Republicans hammering Hillary Clinton for giving speeches to Goldman Sachs after she left the State Department? Well, it turns out Donald Trump received $150K for an appearance via Skype to a Ukrainian billionaire while running for the Republican presidential nomination. #WTF?

• In celebration of their debut album, Treehouse, out this Friday, duo Sofi Tukker releases the new video for single “Batshit,” featuring Tucker’s debut as the lead vocalist.

“We are introducing him as exactly what he is: Batshit Crazy. It’s as ridiculous and colorful as he is. And we love it,” says the duo.

That pretty much sums up the wild desert electro-pop romp that is “Batshit.” Check it out below 🙂

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News Round-Up: April 9, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Fitness model Quin Bruce reminds me of the classic Mamas & Papas song: “Monday, Monday, so good to me.”

• Out actor Colton Haynes will return for Season 7 of The CW’s ARROW as a series regular again.

• Jimmy Kimmel has apologized for using gay jokes in his ongoing online feud with Sean Hannity.

• Even conservative pollster Frank Luntz says the GOP is in “deep trouble” and could very well lose both the House and the Senate in the 2018 fall mid-term elections.

• A dad’s request to see his son’s “boy toy” boyfriend went viral for all the right reasons.

• A gay man in Melbourne, Australia, was the victim of a brutal homophobic attack by three men after leaving unconscious and unable to open his eye for three weeks.

• That hilarious time that Fox News accidentally posted a graphic with poll results showing them to be the “least-trusted” news network on the air. “That’s the not the graphic we’re looking for. Hold off. Take that down, please.” #oops

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News Round-Up: April 4, 2018

Fitness model John Gaines

Some news items you might have missed:

• I got your Hump Day right here – a woofy guy (fitness model John Gaines), a dog that woofs and a beach. What’s not to like? #HumpThis

• Toronto police, under fire for the slow response to investigate a series of gay murders, will not march in the city’s pride parade this year.

• Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson, who covers the White House, will be honored by The White House Correspondents’ Association with an honorable mention for the Merriman Smith Award for print, which honors presidential news coverage under deadline pressure.

• A contest at a Malaysian university sought ideas to help “convert” gay students. The contest called for video and poster design as part of a campaign called “Back to Nature.”

• A CNN legal analyst described Donald Trump’s fruitless search for a lawyer as being “reduced to Legalzoom.” In light of the fact that Trump famously doesn’t listen to his lawyers’ advice or pay his legal fees, no one in Washington D.C. wants to rep him.

• Grindr says it will stop sharing subscribers HIV status with 3rd party companies.

• Maryland lawmakers have passed a bill that outlaws so-called “conversion therapy” for minors. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.

• And how about one more from the hunky, handsome Mr. Gaines…

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News Round-Up: March 30, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• #TGIF!  Israeli fitness model Shalom Bar (h/t Towleroad)

• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Justice Stephen Reinhardt, who authored the majority ruling that struck down Prop 8 in California in 2012, has passed away at the age of 87.

• This gay couple is living a Kafkaesque nightmare in trying to stay together thanks to Donald Trump’s travel ban.

• The ACLU has filed suit in Ohio for not allowing transgender people to update their birth certificates. The policy is the inconsistent with other state policies that allow transgender Ohioans to update their gender markers on their driver’s licenses and state identification cards. Ohio, Tennessee, and Kansas are the only states that don’t allow trans people to change their birth certificates.

• Country music star Kacey Musgraves told Billboard she regrets that once she laughed as a “gay guy” was bullied.

• Indie singer/songwriter Lauv dropped his latest single, “Chasing Fire” just in time for the weekend. And me like 🙂

Lauv, who Rolling Stone calls “Pop’s up-and-coming heartbreak king,” seems to find mucho inspiration in the relationships that don’t work out.

Lauv said of the single: “’Chasing Fire’ is about fighting for something that’s already over. It’s the beginning of the end. It’s desperation. It’s grand. But it’s hopeless.”

Hit play below and take a listen. I definitely hear some Coldplay/Maroon 5 influences even as Lauv stakes out his own territory.

Happy Friday, kids!