LGBTQ news and entertainment
Some news items for you as we rush to get ready for Christmas:
• The Advocate: Out author Armistead Maupin recently shared more details about his relationship with iconic Hollywood actor Rock Hudson and his “legendarily large penis.” Continue reading “Armistead Maupin Shares About Rock Hudson + More News”
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: A new Hollywood tell-all book is highlighting Rock Hudson’s so-called gay confession tape, made secretly by his wife, Phyllis Gates, in the late 1950s. Continue reading “New Book Highlights Rock Hudson ‘Confession’ Tape + More News”
Some news items you might have missed: • ABC News: Police in Moscow were called to investigate alleged ‘LGBTQ propaganda’ at a fan event dedicated to the cartoon series “My Little Pony.” Some speculate it was because of the character Rainbow Dash, whose multicolored mane and tail are similar to the LGBTQ Pride flag. Continue reading “Moscow Police Investigate ‘My Little Pony’ Event Because Rainbow + More News”
In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast, Gallup Polling reports support for same-sex relations has dropped by 7 percent in one year, plus… Continue reading “Podcast: RuPaul Honored In Congress, Tony Awards, Rock Hudson Doc-Film + More”
Legendary gay leading man Rock Hudson is the subject of a new documentary from HBO, Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Continue reading “HBO Documentary – “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed””
In this podcast:
• As the close races are finding a victor days later, I break down the midterm elections on how LGBTQ candidates did, as well as how the “Blue Wave” will affect our community.
• The US State Department denounces the hideous human rights violations against LGBTQ people in Tanzania.
• Hollywood legend Rock Hudson is getting a big screen biopic treatment by out super-producer Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon).
• And Colton Haynes surprised fans with a cover of “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman.
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
If you enjoy catching up on LGBTQ news in a quick podcast, I’d appreciate it if you would share The Randy Report with your friends.
I like to think of this podcast as the 60 Minutes of gay news — only shorter 🙂
Some stories you may have missed:
• Nine weeks before his death, Nancy Reagan declined to help Rock Hudson get into a hospital that might have saved his life or alleviated his illness because AIDS.
• Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, may have to reduce water service to only two days a week due to extreme drought.
• Virginia state Senate approved a bill which would provide important anti-discrimination protections for local and state LGBT government employees.
• The story of James Robertson of Detroit, who has walked 21 miles to work every day for the last decade, became a national story and launched a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $233,000 to help James.
• President Obama’s new budget proposes allowing same-sex married couples to receive spousal Social Security benefits no matter what state they live in, as long as they are legally married – just like any married couple.
• Just one more reason to love ballet…
Rock Hudson was one of Hollywood’s premier leading men in the 50s and early 60s, though sadly, he is perhaps most notable for being the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS.
He made his big screen debut in 1948, but muddled around in bit parts for years until 1955′s Magnificent Obsession. The following year’s Giant, co-starring fellow queer film icons Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean, proved Hudson to be a strong dramatic actor (and earned him an Oscar nomination) while he found even more success in a series of romantic comedies with Doris Day, starting with 1959′s Pillow Talk.
While Hudson was enjoying being the nation’s top box office draw in the 1950s and 60s, he and Wilson were busy covering up Hudson’s homosexuality. Hudson’s homosexuality was a well-kept secret in Hollywood, resulting in a sham marriage to Wilson’s secretary, Phyllis Gates.
His health began to decline in 1981 and worsened with his diagnosis of HIV on June 5, 1984. On July 25, 1985, Hudson became the first major public figure to announce he had AIDS. September 19 of that year, Hudson, too sick to attend a special AIDS fundraiser, sent the following telegram:
“I am not happy that I am sick. I am not happy that I have AIDS. But if that is helping others, I can at least know that my own misfortune has had some positive worth.”
Hudson died in his sleep on October 2, 1985. He was 59.
Remarking on the late screen idol, Morgan Fairchild said “Rock Hudson’s death gave AIDS a face.”
(source)