Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
In this week’s headlines:
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis made history as the first out governor to get married while in office Continue reading “Podcast: Out NFL Player Carl Nassib, RuPaul At The Emmys & More”
Some news items you might have missed:
• Instinct Magazine: Johnny Sibilly (Pose, Hacks), Candace Grace (Acts of Crime), Devin Way (Grey’s Anatomy), Ryan O’Connell (Special), and Fin Argus (Clouds) will join the cast of the upcoming reboot of Queer As Folk as series regulars. Continue reading “News Round-Up: September 2, 2021”
Some news items you might have missed:
• Instinct Magazine: RuPaul’s Drag Race is returning to Las Vegas, bringing six sexy Pit Crew members with it. And for the most part, it’ll be a totally new cast of sexy men (above). Check them out at the link.
• Out Music: Belgian pop superstar Max Colombie, (aka Oscar and the Wolf) unveils his brand-new single and music video “Oliver.”
The sultry single serves up a tropical beat and shimmering synths as Colombie’s sensual voice draws us further into his poolside dreamworld.
• Washington Blade: Louisiana lawmakers failed to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ (D) veto last month of a bill that would have barred trans girls and women from participating on athletic teams or in sporting events designated for girls or women at elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools.
• Family Equality: This short two-minute video, released in advance of Parents Day on Sunday, offers a lighthearted but thorough explanation of the discrimination, bias, and disproportionate financial outlays same-sex couples can face on their journey to parenthood.
• Outsports: The Olympics always drive huge LGBTQ viewership. Here are 8 events at the Tokyo Olympics likely to be popular with LGBTQ viewers.
• Deadline: Billy Porter’s directorial debut for Orion Pictures – What If? – will star Black transgender actress Eva Reign in the upcoming high school rom-com.
Mj Rodriguez made history today as she was honored with an Emmy Award nomination for her role as ‘Blanca’ on the acclaimed FX series POSE.
Receiving a nod for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Rodriguez becomes the first trans actress to be recognized in a lead acting category.
Series co-creator Steven Canals celebrated the news on Twitter:
Holy shit!!! @MjRodriguez7 just made HISTORY as the first Trans actress to ever be nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series @TelevisionAcad #Emmys 💖 🥲 pic.twitter.com/FSxrSrLexH
— Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) July 13, 2021
The third and final season of POSE garnered a total of 9 nominations this morning including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Billy Porter.
This is Porter’s 3rd nomination having previously made history himself when he took home the Emmy For Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role of ‘Pray Tell’ in 2019.
#Grateful ✨✨✨ https://t.co/g81ceQk4En
— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) July 13, 2021
The series has been a trailblazer from the get-go by featuring the largest trans cast in TV history. And yet, until now, none of the trans female cast members had been recognized by the Emmys.
“Michaela Jaé (Mj) Rodriguez’s Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is a breakthrough for transgender women in Hollywood, and a long-overdue recognition for her groundbreaking performance over the past three seasons of POSE,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
“Additionally, the show’s nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as Billy Porter’s third nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, mark a historic show that undoubtedly raised the bar for trans representation on television and changed the way viewers around the world understand the trans community.
C’mon #Emmys2021! 🏆 Thank you @TelevisionAcad for 11 nominations!👑 🏁
(THREAD ⬇️) pic.twitter.com/uB3uRjxYae
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) July 13, 2021
Netflix’s Queer Eye garnered 6 nominations including Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program as well as Outstanding Structured Reality Program.
Holy fucking shit I’m a 3-time Emmy nominee!!! 😭😭😭🎉🎉🎉🍸🍸🍸 pic.twitter.com/EncD140CWr
— Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) July 13, 2021
And Randy Rainbow received his 3rd nomination for Best Short Form Variety Series. He won in 2019.
GLAAD has assembled a complete list of LGBTQ nominations here.
You can see the full list of 2021 Emmy Award nominations here. The 73rd Annual Emmy Awards will air live on CBS Sunday, September 19.
Some news items you might have missed:
• NewNowNext: A new documentary special, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Corona Can’t Keep A Good Queen Down, takes fans behind the scenes to see how the Emmy Award-winning series pulled off shooting a new season amid COVID-19.
• Broadway Cares: The fan-inspiring, steamy stream of ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway, a nostalgic evening of song and conversation with the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital, raised a stellar $130,565 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway.
• Kenneth-in-the-212: It’s Wrestle Wednesday over on KIT212 – click over to see this week’s athletic twunk.
• Washington Blade: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) signaled he would oppose the Equality Act, legislation to expand the prohibition on anti-LGBTQ discrimination under federal law, unless Christians get a carve-out to discriminate based on religious grounds.
• Revry: The queer streaming platform celebrates Black History Month with an entire February calendar highlighting incredible Black Queer content made by and for the community. Check out the 2019 film Trade which tells the tale of two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer, who meet and form a relationship that brings to light who they really are.
• Disney: Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (La La Land) stars in Disney’s Cruella, an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. Due out May 2021.
• NBC News: Tim Boyd, mayor of Colorado City, Texas, resigned after lashing out at constituents who have been paralyzed by this week’s devastating cold snap. In a Facebook post, Boyd told town residents to stop complaining about the cold weather that has left millions across Texas stranded without power. “No one owes you or your family anything; nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it’s your choice!”
• CNN: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly laughed about Donald Trump’s recent attack statement and has no plans to engage the former President. He’s done talking Trump, with plans to focus on push to take back Senate and focus on Biden agenda. “He’s moving on,” one source said.
“You probably are not going to hear him utter the name Donald Trump ever again,” per one source. Trump also claimed McConnell “begged” for his support and gave McConnell a 20-point boost in polls. The claim has no basis in reality, per sources. McConnell is not planning to engage
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 17, 2021
It was a Schitt’s-krieg at the 72nd Annual Emmy Awards Sunday night as the LGBTQ-themed Schitt’s Creek swept the major comedy categories winning a record-breaking 9 Emmys, the most ever for a comedy series in a single year.
It was quite the capper for the sixth and final season of the show which has become beloved by straight and queer audiences alike, drawn in by the series’ celebration of inclusivity and diversity. The series spent much of the season on the touching, and often hysterical, same-sex love story between Dan Levy’s ‘David Rose’ and Noah Reid’s ‘Patrick.’
Catherine O’Hara was the first cast member to be honored on Sunday night as she scored for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The win marked O’Hara’s first at the Emmys.
“This is so cool,” said O’Hara from a viewing party in Toronto. “I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age—my age—who gets to fully be her ridiculous self.”
Eugene Levy followed that winning Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as the show’s patriarch, Johnny Rose.
His son and series co-creator Dan Levy and his co-star Annie Murphy both picked up statues for their performances in the Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress categories.
At that point, an overwhelmed Dan Levy tweeted out, “What the actual f*ck!”
What the actual fuck! https://t.co/Teyx3ZS0g0
— dan levy (@danjlevy) September 21, 2020
But wait! There’s more!
Dan Levy was also honored for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
And finally, the show took home the top honor, Outstanding Comedy Series.
In accepting the award, Dan Levy took a moment to encourage viewers to get out and vote.
“Our show at its core is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance and that is something that we need more of now than ever before,” said Dan Levy as he accepted the award. “I just wanted to say that for any of you who have not registered to vote, please do so, and then go out and vote because that is the only way we are going to have some love and acceptance out there. Please do that. I’m so sorry for making this political, but I had to!”
His dad chimed in thanking his son for taking “our ‘fish out of water’ story about the Rose family” and transforming it into “a celebration of inclusivity, a castigation of homophobia, and a declaration of the power of love.”
Earlier in the week, Schitt’s Creek also won Emmys for casting and costumes at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
It was quite the reversal of fortune for the show which was shut out of contention during its first four seasons. Last year, the Pop TV series garnered four nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy, but went home empty-handed.
In other queer Emmy news, RuPaul’s Drag Race won 6 awards including the show’s third-in-a-row Outstanding Competition Program Emmy Award and Mama Ru’s 5th straight win for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
Former Disney Channel star Zendaya (24) also made history as the youngest actress to win in the Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her compelling work as complicated queer teen ‘Rue’ on HBO’s Euphoria.
For a list of all of Sunday night’s winners, head over to Emmys.com.
Set your DVRs for the season premiere of Bravo’s Backyard Envy on Tuesday, August 4, on Bravo at 10/9c when the “Two Wills and a Grace” from New York City continue their adventures with the most demanding landscape clients in Manhattan and the burbs.
Garrett Magee is the expert landscaper aka “the plant whisperer,” Mellissa Brasier handles all the logistics, and James DeSantis is “the money guy.” Together they make up the successful landscaping company Manscapers.
The series follows DeSantis, Magee, and Brasier as they transform barren outdoor spaces into lush, jaw-dropping oases. Along the way, the trio juggles tight deadlines, multiple clients, and – just to add some more drama – each other.
Today, World of Wonder, which produces both Backyard Envy and RuPaul’s Drag Race, is sharing a special crossover mini-episode with three RPDR favorites.
The trio of drag superstars joins the cast of BYE via Zoom to show off their backyards and get pro advice from the experts to make their outdoor space that much more chic.
Garrett offers Jackie Cox (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12) an insider secret on how to kill weeds without lifting a stylishly gloved finger.
James chats with All-Stars Season One winner Chad Michaels suggesting some wall hangings to add to Michaels’ already gorgeous backyard.
And Melissa gives Yuhua Hamasaki (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10) one little tweak to take her Manhattan hideaway to the next level.
Check out the mini-episode above and make sure to tune in for the season premiere of Backyard Envy on August 4 at 10/9c on Bravo.
Here’s a bit more eye-candy from the show’s Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
The 2020 Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning with lots of LGBTQ recognition to go around.
Schitt’s Creek garnered a whopping 15 nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series as well as Outstanding Lead Actor / Lead Actress / Supporting Actor / Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy, and Annie Murphy respectively.
Daniel Levy is also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The show has received four nominations in past years.
Schitt's Creek has been nominated for a total of ~fifteen~ #Emmys.
We are currently trying to process this news. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/cdPcCqpJr2
— Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) July 28, 2020
VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race scored 10 nominations including Outstanding Competition Program and one for Mama Ru for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked was nominated for two trophies including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Out Of The Closet scored a nod for Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series.
The ‘make better’ show Queer Eye was honored with 7 nominations including Outstanding Structured Reality Program, and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
https://twitter.com/QueerEye/status/1288152402135265280
Billy Porter was nominated again for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Pray Tell in FX’s Pose. Porter took home the trophy last year in the same category.
The series also received nominations for period costumes, hairstyling, and makeup, but no Emmy love for any of the transgender actresses on the show – Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and Angelica Ross. Additionally, the show itself was not nominated for Outstanding Drama Series.
Steven Canals, one of the co-creators of the show, made note of that on social media.
https://twitter.com/theebillyporter/status/1288143439046090758
Okay, real talk… what does @MjRodriguez7 have to do – aside from baring her heart & pouring her soul into every damn scene – to get a Best Actress nomination?! #PoseFX #Emmys pic.twitter.com/eJwSudMtkh
— Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) July 28, 2020
The wild and wooly Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness received 6 nominations including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
We’re Here, starring Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela, was nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program.
Holland Taylor was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her delicate turn as a movie studio casting director in Netflix’s Hollywood. Jim Parsons also scored an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series of Movie nod for his scheming talent agent in Hollywood as well. Hollywood, which reimagines the Golden Age of Tinsel Town with marginalized communities like Black and LGBTQ Americans finding success in the 1940s, received 12 nominations in total.
In the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category, Laverne Cox received a nomination for her appearance in the final season of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. Cherry Jones was nominated in the same category for her work in HBO’s Succession.
https://twitter.com/RandyRainbow/status/1288157086426312704
Political satirist Randy Rainbow was honored with a nomination for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for his popular parodies of Broadway tunes which lampoon political figures.
HBO’s dystopian superhero drama Watchmen walked away with the most nominations, 26 in all, followed by Amazon’s stylish comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with 20 nods.
For a complete list of all nominees head over to Emmys.com.
The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be presented on September 20 on ABC.
Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunks: Woofy Alexis (above) made me laugh with his observation, “I used to smile in all my mirror selfies…. now I just have to raise my eyebrows.” Life in the pandemic era LOL. Follow him here.
• EW: VH1 will broadcast the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, in what will be its most technically challenging finale yet. The episode will feature the remaining queens competing in a revolutionary lip-sync for the crown and a $10,000 prize.
• MetroWeekly: NYC Pride has announced a 50th-anniversary broadcast special on Sunday, June 28, featuring Dan Levy, Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, and a host of other celebrities and LGBTQ activists. The special replaces the annual Pride March, which was canceled last month due to COVID-19.
• KIT212: Kenneth’s round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications includes BTL’s cover story on Broadway icon Patti LuPone.
• NY Post: A new study found men are less likely to wear face masks because they’re ‘not cool’ and ‘a sign of weakness.’ Ironically, men appear to be more severely impacted by the virus. In places such as China, Italy, Spain, and New York City, men have died from COVID-19 at far higher rates than women did.
• South China Morning Post: Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, led by Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, recently found that blood plasma from coronavirus survivors could kill 99 percent of the virus in patients still fighting Covid-19 because they contain the necessary antibodies to fight the infection.
• New Music: Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Toni Braxton is ready to kick off the summer vibes with her sizzling new track “Dance,” remixed by legendary dance producer Dave Audé.
“Instead of being sad about a relationship not working out,” Toni Braxton explains, “you decide to dance your troubles away in the club or alone at home. It’s just about moving forward from a negative situation, whether that’s a relationship, your job or something else holding you back.”
The remix for “Dance” comes on the heels of her recently released single “Do It,” which scored the highest radio chart debut of her solo career with record-breaking adds on impact, and is currently closing in on Top 10 at Urban AC.
Via Variety:
VH1 and World of Wonder Productions are providing you with an extension of the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise in “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race,” a new event series set to launch April 24 at 9:30 pm.
Each episode in the four-part event series will feature a trio of celebrities opening up their hearts and minds to the transformative power of drag.
After getting some help from beloved past contestants — deemed “Queen Supremes” — Alyssa Edwards, Asia O’Hara, Bob the Drag Queen, Kim Chi, Monét X Change, Monique Heart, Nina West, Trinity the Tuck, Trixie Mattel and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, the celebrity contestants will compete in fan-favorite challenges and step onto the runway in their new looks.
At the end of each episode, one of that week’s three celebrity contestants will win the title of “America’s Next Celebrity Drag Race Superstar” and prize money for a charity of their choice.
The new “Celebrity Drag Race” limited series will follow new episodes of Season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which air Fridays at 8 p.m. on VH1.