Radio host & MMA fighter Jason Ellis (photo: John Tsaivis) Openly bisexual SiriusXM radio host and MMA fighter Jason Ellis knows he’s a rough-looking dude. “I have a tough exterior,” writes Ellis in a personal essay for The Advocate. “I fight MMA. I’m a skateboarder. I’m tattooed from head to toe. But if you get to know me you know I’m a sensitive man.” “And the rejection of me being a bisexual man by other LGBTQ people hurts,” adds Ellis. In his new book, Still Awesome: The Trials and Tribulations of an Egotistical Maniac, the former pro skateboarder from Australia talks candidly about being openly bi, his adventures in Grindr land, and his personal work on putting quality over quantity when it comes to his sex life. Ellis says he doesn’t feel very welcome in the community right now. Recalling times when he’s told men he’s had sex with that he’s married to a woman, he gets responses like “it’s just a phase” and “you’ll eventually be gay.” “I’m a bisexual man and I’m married to a woman I love. I’m lucky enough to be able to have sex with men as well. I find diverse people of all genders sexy and attractive.” Ellis publicly came out as bisexual in 2016, and married his wife, Katie Gilbert, in August 2017. But he says while others might doubt the idea of bisexuality, he’s clear on who he is. “Ask my wife,” he told Outsports in a recent interview. “I’m trying to have sex with her all the time. She’s not my beard. And I love having sex with guys too.” Sometimes, he says guys call him ‘straight,’ which he finds confusing. “I’m standing next to you with my pants off. How straight could I be?” The radio host makes a point of saying that he doesn’t want his inclusion in the community to be merely sexual. “I want LGBTQ friends,” he says adding “After all, ‘B’ is the third letter listed!” The Aussie admits the heterosexual community doesn’t do much better in welcoming bisexual men: “Watch any straight porn and a bi scene between two chicks is de rigueur, but it rarely happens between the men.” Ellis told Outsports that the phone lines on his SiriusXM radio show (where he’s often talked about his sexcapades in the past) go quiet when he talks about the LGBTQ aspect of his life like going to gay sex clubs: “Nobody wants to talk about that.” That reaction led him to venture into podcasting where he’s noticed more support and a different kind of crowd that just “guys in their cars.” On the topic of bisexuality, it’s worth noting that a 2018 report from Gallup showed that the estimate of LGBT people in the U.S. increased to 4.5 percent in 2017, and a huge number of those folks are bisexual. According to the Williams Institute, studies suggest that about 50 percent of people who say they are either gay, lesbian or bisexual, identify as bisexual, making them the single largest group within the LGBTQ community.
Ellis says in writing about his sexuality, he’s looking for “pity,” but perhaps some empathy. And to raise awareness on the reality of bisexuality. “I would like to be part of the community,” he writes. “The ‘B’ was put there for a reason. And if you’re going to use it, then I ask the community to make more of an effort to find people like me and include us in the community and at your events.” “Too many of us long to be in a community that will have us,” says Ellis. “Please be a little more welcoming, show us a little encouragement, and for fuck’s sake, believe me when I tell you I am equally attracted to men and women.” Acknowledging his tatted-up appearance might look “a little different,” he offers, “I clean up nicely and work really hard to be charming.” Still Awesome, Ellis’ third autobiography (co-written with Mike Tully) is available now. You can find his previous best-selling releases here. (photo: John Tsaivis)
• Paleontologist Francesc Gascó is giving you serious beard and biceps (above).
• Democratic presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg told CNN today he doesn’t have a problem with Vice President Mike Pence having religious beliefs, but added, “My problem is when those religious beliefs are used as an excuse to harm other people.”
Michele Bachmann has never seen “a more biblical president” than Trump: “We will, in all likelihood, never see a more godly, biblical president again in our lifetimes.” pic.twitter.com/xnqCZRaq5f
• Out Canadian singer-songwriter Mathew V has released the music video for his latest single, “Catching Feelings.” Directed by Gabriel Adelman, the video follows Mathew V through an extraterrestrial adventure set to an extremely danceable track.
“‘Catching Feelings’ can be counted as one of the first evocatively sun-soaked jams of 2019. Toned, smoothed out & soulful.” – EQ Music
His debut album, The Fifth, was released in the spring of 2018 and charted in both Canada and the US. The album earned critical acclaim from press outlets such as Nylon and Billboard, marking Mathew as an artist to watch.
His catalogue is now approaching 10 million online streams. Hit play below.
Michael Musto is reporting over at OUT that SiriusXM’s lone LGBT station – OutQ – will end this Friday.
Last June, Sirius OutQ — SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s LGBT channel — bid farewell to the Derek and Romaine show after 12 years of news and banter.
Well, that was just the tip of the gay iceberg. I hear that as of this Friday, the channel is deader than the animals worn by Sir Elton John.
Tragically, they’re canceling the whole thing! Funnyman Frank DeCaro’s show is being forced to end after, yep, 12 years. (Fortunately for DeCaro, he has a burgeoning career as a writer and comic and has been opening for Lisa Lampanelli all over the place).
Meanwhile, though Morning Jolt host Larry Flick is staying aboard, they axed his sidekick Keith Price and are moving Larry to their EW Radio channel. And even some non OutQ gays are being shown the door. Lance Bass’s show on Radio Andy (Andy Cohen’s channel there) is bye-bye-bye, baby, ain’t no lie.
I originally subscribed to SiriusXM for the programming on OutQ.
I couldn’t stomach Derek and Romaine (I once called in and Derek hung up on me mid-sentence), but enjoyed Frank DeCaro, Larry Flick and Michelangelo Signorile (before his show was moved to the Progress channel).
I listen to SiriusXM’s CNN and MSNBC streams during my drives to and from LA from Vegas, so I’ll continue to subscribe.
But I’m sad to see the end of something what that should have thrived. Clearly there wasn’t enough traffic to justify the expense on SiriusXM’s part.
LOGO TV leaves the LGBT programming behind, and now SiriusXM does the same.
I wonder if it’s another case of LGBTs not supporting their own? Should they? Should they not? Leave your comments below. I’d love to know what you think.
This Sunday marks National Coming Out Day 2015, and to acknowledge the day Radio Andy, Andy Cohen’s exclusive SiriusXM channel, will premiere “Free Advice with Ev & Lou Cohen” where Andy and his parents answer listener questions about a range of topics, share Andy’s coming out story, and more.
“Free Advice with Ev & Lou Cohen” premieres this Sunday at 8am ET/PT on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM channel Radio Andy.
If you don’t currently subscribe to SiriusXM (I do) you can sign up for a free trial for SiriusXM Radio by clicking here.
Click below to hear Andy Cohen and his parents share Andy’s coming out story:
Click below to hear Andy Cohen’s parents on their involvement in the LGBT community:
From the Michelangelo Signorile Show on Sirius XM Radio:
On Friday, the Supreme Court handed down it’s historic ruling on marriage equality in the US.
Michelangelo Signorile took calls from listeners and Robert in Wisconsin told him how his parents left him money is their will for him to finally get married.
Robert said during the call that the SCOTUS decision “Made me feel that I was valued, and that I matter as a person now.”
SiriusXM announced today that it will launch The Barbra Streisand Channel, an exclusive channel featuring the works of Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony award-winning artist Barbra Streisand.
The Barbra Streisand Channel, the exclusive, limited-run channel, will feature music spanning Streisand’s legendary career, from her 1963 debut through her newest album, Partners, scheduled to be released on September 16.
The channel will be fully dedicated to Barbra Streisand’s extensive body of work and will include selections from her live and studio recordings. The channel will also include Streisand’s personal song selections from her catalog, spanning 50 years.
The Barbra Streisand Channel will also feature an exclusive “Town Hall” special with Barbra Streisand. Streisand will sit down for an intimate Q&A session with a select group of listeners in the SiriusXM studios in New York City. Moderated by her longtime colleague, music industry executive Jay Landers, “SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Barbra Streisand” will air onSunday, September 14 at 12:00 pm ET on The Barbra Streisand Channel.
The limited-run channel will run through Friday, October 10, via satellite on Sirius channel 69 and XM channel 73. The Barbra Streisand Channel will also be available online on channel 69 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.
SiriusXM’s OutQ channel has announced the radio network will launch a gay sports show called The Outfield. Via press release:
The Outfield will be a place where sports fans, regardless of sexual orientation, will be encouraged to share their perspectives on events and issues happening on and off the field.
Guests for the debut program include: Sheryl Swoopes, the head coach of the women’s basketball team of Loyola University Chicago, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and three-time WNBA MVP; Dakota Cochrane, professional MMA fighter; and Howard Bragman, noted public relations expert credited with advising numerous celebrities and athletes on “coming out,” including All-American college football star Michael Sam, who is widely considered a prospect to become the first openly-gay player in the NFL.
Also joining will be Cyd Zeigler, editor and co-founder of Outsports.com, and Hudson Taylor, the Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally. In the coming weeks, guests will include Ciaran O’Lionaird, Summer Olympian and track star, among others.
The show will debut this Sunday at 11AM on OutQ 109.