Tag: news round-up

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News Round-Up: June 20, 2017

Lony Pizzaro via Instagram

Some news items you may have missed:

• It’s 112 degrees here in Las Vegas – I can’t imagine grilling in my backyard. So, I’ll just look at fitness model Lony Pizarro tend to his grill 😉

• Virulently anti-LGBT activist Tony Perkins does NOT appreciate the irony that Rep. Steve Scalise, who has attended white nationalist events in the past, was saved at last week’s DC shooting by a married, black lesbian.

• Barbie’s boyfriend Ken got multiple makeovers including seven skin tones, three body types and even a man-bun. I wonder if Barbie knows all the Kens are attending Pride this year…?

Ken gets a makeover

• Ryan Phillippe reflects on playing the first openly gay teenager on TV: “There had never been a gay teenager represented on television up until that point: It’s before Will & Grace, it’s before Ellen came out, it’s before any of that stuff. I remember the fan mail that we would get, my mother and I would get, from gay teenagers or from parents of gay teenagers who found a way in to relate to or talk to their child through the show. Entertainment media can do those things, it can make people think differently or see a different side of something and I do remember and appreciating that — even back then when I was only a teenager myself. But in terms of like the larger view, I didn’t have a full understanding of how important it could have been, but I’m proud to have done it, I’m proud that that’s something I can say was a part of my career.”

• Asked why White House press briefings are becoming less frequent and off-camera, Trump advisor Steve Bannon replied to The Atlantic, “Sean (Spicer) got fatter.”

• The woofy Kilted Coaches show their support for Pride Month via this “rainbow-y” (kilt-less) video:

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News Round-Up: June 19, 2017

Facial hair didn’t keep these two from finding gay bliss
(via Instagram)

Some news items you may have missed:

• A religious leader for Russia’s Old Believers is urging Russian men to stop shaving because growing a beard will “protect themselves from homosexuality.” The man has clearly never attended Bear Week.

• A straight man, who was the victim of anti-gay animus for years because his employers perceived him to be gay, has been awarded $17.4 million in a discrimination law suit.

• As the Texas legislature heads back to Austin for a special session called by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in part to consider an anti-transgender “bathroom bill,” a new poll by the University of Texas/Texas Tribune shows only 44% of Texas voters feel the bill is “important” while 47% do not.

• No Justice No Pride, the group that temporarily disrupted the Capital Pride Parade in Washington, D.C., last week, say they are planning a similar action for the upcoming New York City Pride March this coming Sunday. The group opposes, among other things, allowing police officers to march in Pride parades, increasing the number of black and brown queer and trans on Pride committees and ending corporate sponsorships by companies that have a determined negative impact on the LGBTQ community.

• The New York City Council is considering a proposal that would make it illegal for anyone to charge a fee for therapy that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation.

• MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle highlights the increasing number of anti-LGBTQ bills, noting that more than 100 bills in 29 states have been introduced in statehouses across the country. The majority of these bills target the transgender community, or aim to give taxpayer-funded agencies and employees a ‘license to discriminate’ against the LGBTQ community. Watch below.

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News Round-Up: June 16, 2017

Ignacio Pérez Rey via Instagram

• Ignacio Pérez Rey already has the jump on the weekend. #TGIF

• Big deal – Amazon is buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion.

• Virulently anti-LGBT Rep. Steve Scalise owes his life to out and proud Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner, who took down Scalise’s shooter.

• Info Wars nut Alex Jones says he secretly recorded his full pre-interview with Megyn Kelly, and has released it in an attempt to embarrass the former Fox News host. In the recording, she promises no “gotcha” questions and fawns over Jones saying she finds him “fascinating.” Jones says he also recorded the full four hour interview and will release that if he thinks Kelly’s upcoming Sunday night airing distorts his statements.

• President Trump has appointed his son’s wedding planner to run the Department of Housing Urban Development Region II, which includes New York. In case you’re wondering – no, she has absolutely no experience in housing, and according to reports she lied about having a law degree.

• Vice President Pence lawyers up as the current special counsel investigation widens it’s scope.

• Expect to hear Grammy®-nominated recording artist Audien and acclaimed DJ/producer 3LAU play their new collaboration, the haunting new single “Hot Water”  this weekend at EDC 2017 in Las Vegas. Listen below.

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News Round-Up: June 15, 2017

Some news items you might have missed:

• RuPaul stars as cover girl on Entertainment Weekly this week for the LGBTQ issue. Speaking of his 8 year hiatus from his glamorous alter-ego: “I thought, ‘Could it be that this is not meant for me?’ It was this horrible existence. One day, my friend Larry Tee called me and said, ‘Ru, what the f—k are you doing? You are a star. Get your ass back to New York and get your s—t together.’ And I did…I’m going to go back to New York and give those bitches exactly what they want from me.”

• The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to impose new sanctions on Russia while simultaneously blocking the president from lifting those penalties.

• Homocon journalist says gays only care about “pop music and going to the beach,” adding “they probably don’t know what the Second Amendment is.”

• The Washington Post has had record readership thanks in great part to exceptional reporting on the Trump administration.

• Queerty reviews the best day pool parties in Las Vegas. Who wants to get wet and wild?

• MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow covers Rolling Stone Magazine: “We have a mantra when it comes to this administration: ‘Don’t pay attention to what they say, focus on what they do.’ And that is very helpful, because it’s easier to cover a fast-moving story when you’re not distracted by whatever the White House denials are.”

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News Round-Up: June 14, 2017

Tyson Beckford

Some news items you might have missed:

• International super model (and current celebrity host at Chippendales in Las Vegas) Tyson Beckford covers Vegas Magazine

• Fox News is dropping it’s woefully inaccurate slogan, “Fair & Balanced.” #AboutTime

• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has broken the record for the worst approval rating (only 15% approval) for any governor in any state surveyed by Quinnipiac University in more than 20 years.

• Terrific article by Matt Baume about the emergence, history and evolution of Queer Proms over the past 20 years. #GreatRead

• Investigators have found evidence of attempted Russian cyber-hacking by in 39 states’ voting software and data.

• Check out Raúl Castillo, before his Looking role on HBO, in the short film 2012 Kiss Me where he played Kid Vargas, a boxer with a secret.

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News Round-Up: June 13, 2017

Ramin Karimloo

Some news items you may have missed:

• One item I forgot in my Tony Awards recap – I truly missed not seeing Ramin Karimloo and the cast of Broadway’s Anastasia perform. For the fans, don’t miss Ramin at BB Kings in NYC July 23 & 24.

• Four law firms turned down the opportunity to represent Donald Trump because he has a history of not listening to people he hires, and not paying his bill.

• A Malaysian teenager was savagely beaten and left brain-dead for being “effeminate.”

• The president’s job approval drops to 36% leaving him 23 points under water.

• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi believes President Donald Trump will “self-impeach.”

• If you held a Pride Parade at my house…

A post shared by George Takei (@georgehtakei) on Jun 13, 2017 at 9:56am PDT

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News Round-Up: June 9, 2017

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you may have missed:

• Come on, say it with Instahunk Alex Abramov (above): “Thank God it’s Friday!”

• Democrat Jon Ossoff leads Republican Karen Handel 51% to 44% among likely voters among in a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll tracking the upcoming special election for a Georgia House seat.

• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson defends federal budget cuts to housing programs for low-income people with HIV: “The pie is only so big.”

• Russian hackers are using Britney Spears’ Instagram account to share cryptic encoded messages that control their hacking system.

• More than 18 million people tuned in to watch former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the U.S. Senate yesterday.

• The Scottish Episcopal Church has voted to allow same-sex couples to marry in the church.

• Scissor Sisters and MDNR have released a lyric video for their collaboration “Swerlk,” a fundraising single in honor of the 49 lives lost in the Pulse nightclub massacre. Click over to http://www.SWERLK.com to donate.

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News Round-Up: June 2, 2017

Tyson Beckford and the Chippendales (click to enlarge)

Some news items you may have missed:

• That time you’re at the Planet Hollywood pool in Las Vegas and notice Tyson Beckford and the Chippendales just hanging… #HappyFriday

• In this sneak peek from MTV’s The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros, Olympian Gus Kenworthy gets emotional recalling lying about his sexuality while being a professional skier.

• President Trump has no time to honor Pride Month, what with being so busy proclaiming June “National Ocean Month” and “National Homeowner Month.” As such, Ivanka Trump got a whole lotta backlash when she tweeted a bubbly message about how she “celebrates” and “honors” the LGBTQ community.

• Chilean President Michelle Bachelet plans to send a bill to Congress later this year that will legalize same-sex marriage in her country. South America currently celebrates marriage equality in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay.

• MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough says his sources point to White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon as the “leaker” inside the Trump administration.

• A North Carolina minister is accused of kidnapping and assaulting a gay parishioner. The 23 year-old victim says he was slapped, punched, choked and screamed at for two hours in an effort to exorcise his “homosexual demons.”

• The film adaptation of Wonder Woman opens nationwide today boasting a rating of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, putting it ahead of popular super hero movies “The Avengers” (92 percent), “Guardians of the Galaxy” (91 percent), and tying “Iron Man” (94 percent). Watch the trailer below.

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News Round-Up: May 31, 2017

Out artist Raph Solo drops his new music video, “Love Lives.”

Some news items you may have missed:

• The Rhode Island state House just voted to ban so-called “conversion therapy” for LGBT minors. The bill now heads to the Senate.

• A top Russian diplomat vehemently denies verified reports of gay men being tortured in Chechnya.

• Donald Trump’s recent tweets show he doesn’t really understand how the U.S. Senate works.

• From a new study: In 2015, LGB students reported being bullied on school property at a rate of 34 percent compared to 19 percent for straight students.

• If you love pop culture as much as I do, head over to Boy Culture’s awesome collection of opening credits of classic TV shows.

• Out musician Raph Solo recently dropped the music video to his new single, “Love Lives,” a celebration of his long journey to self-acceptance. Solo, who once tried so-called “conversion therapy” in an attempt to change his sexuality, says “I have worked very hard to gain the self-respect and acceptance I enjoy today.”

Solo also shares that the music video is meant to show a different side of the artist, complete with “tongue in cheek” choreography: “I dance a lot in this one! It’s all very tongue-and cheek compared to my previous story-based, cinematic music videos. I hope fans like the choreography and chutzpah.” Check out the video below.

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News Round-Up: May 25, 2017

(photo: pascalpprl)

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Don’t be sad. The weekend is almost here.

• Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts to AIDS treatment could cost a million lives.

• Judge to Indiana same-sex couples regarding the state law not allowing two mothers’ names on a baby’s birth certificate: “You can’t overcome biology.”

• The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that Trumpcare would leave 14 million without health insurance next year, and 23 million by 2026. The report also indicates that those with pre-existing conditions WILL be hurt by the pending legislation.

• The NBA awarded the 2019 All-Star Game to North Carolina thanks to state Republicans’ fake repeal of anti-LGBT law, HB2.

• Donald Trump’s base is shrinking – those who “strongly approved” of the job he is doing fell from 29% to 21%.

• Check out this sweet trailer for In a Heartbeat, an animated short that chronicles an insecure middle schooler’s crush on the most popular boy in school.