News: Newshttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/page/328/?d=1News: NewsenDolly Parton’s Husband Got A Birthday Gift. She Said She Would Pose On Playboy at 75. ‘Well, i’m 75 and they dont’ have a magazine any more.’https://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/dolly-parton%E2%80%99s-husband-got-a-birthday-gift-she-said-she-would-pose-on-playboy-at-75-%E2%80%98well-i%E2%80%99m-75-and-they-dont%E2%80%99-have-a-magazine-any-more%E2%80%99-r94/
 
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dolly parton husband

Dolly Parton recreated her famous Playboy shoot for her husband for his birthday.

The 75-year-old country music legend’s spouse Carl Dean was a huge fan of her 1978 Playboy cover and so to do something extra special for his big day she slipped her eye-popping curves into the famous white tie and strapless black bunny outfit.

Sharing a video of herself dressed in the skin-tight outfit on her social media accounts, Dolly said: “You’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this. Well, it’s for my husband’s birthday. Remember some time back I said I was gonna pose on Playboy magazine when I’m 75? Well, I’m 75 and they don’t have a magazine anymore, but my husband always loved the original cover of Playboy.

“I was trying to think of something to do to make him happy. He still thinks I’m a hot chick after 57 years and I’m not gonna try to talk him out of that.”

The ‘Jolene’ singer then held up a framed print with the old Playboy cover besides a new photo of herself posing in the bodysuit, and admitted she thinks she looks hotter now than she did back in the 70s.

She added: “In the first one, I was kind of a butter-ball. Well I’m string cheese now! But he’ll probably think I’m cream cheese, I hope!”

In the vid, Dolly also showed her millions of followers a clip of her presenting the new Playboy image to her man Carl – who she has been married to since 1966.

The blonde bombshell signed off her video by making an offer to Playboy to pose for the brand – created by late media mogul Hugh Hefner – once again.

She said: “You think Playboy ought to pay me for at least a photoshoot? I do.”

dolly parton husband

Dolly Parton’s Husband previously on Towleroad

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]]>94Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:07:10 +0000Top Catholic Who Led Church Response to Underage Sex Scandal Resigns On News He Was Tracked At Gay Bars Using Grindr Datahttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/top-catholic-who-led-church-response-to-underage-sex-scandal-resigns-on-news-he-was-tracked-at-gay-bars-using-grindr-data-r93/
sex scandal
At the nexus of the latest Catholic discomfort and hypocritical sex scandal: Msgr. Jeffrey Burrill

A Catholic sex scandal/ controversy unfolded Tuesday as a top U.S. Catholic Church official, recognized as “effectively the highest-ranking American cleric who is not a bishop,” resigned after being outed as gay without his consent.

Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill left his post as the general secretary of the U.S. bishops’ conference Tuesday after church officials were made aware of an investigation conducted by Catholic news outlet The Pillar. The outlet used anonymous “app data signals correlated to Burrill’s mobile device” from the dating app Grindr to place Burrill at gay bars and personal residences in multiple cities, with some of those visits occurring while Burrill traveled on assignment for the U.S. bishops’ conference.

…despite no apparent links between Burrill and minors. Multiple Catholic Church clergy members accused of sexual abuse of minors used Grindr to connect with underage boys and coerce them into illegal sexual activities.

The Pillar used similar data, which it said was “commercially available,” to unearth Burrill’s use of Grindr on a near-daily basis between 2018 and 2020. According to The Pillar, some of those uses occurred in Burrill’s office and home, both owned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in addition to USCCB events in other cities.

News of Burrill’s resignation was first announced in a memo from archbishop José Gomez, citing The Pillar’s forthcoming report as the catalyst. “On Monday, we became aware of impending media reports alleging possible improper behavior by Msgr. Burrill. What was shared with us did not include allegations of misconduct with minors,” Gomez wrote. “However, in order to avoid becoming a distraction to the operations and ongoing work of the Conference, Monsignor has resigned effective immediately. The Conference takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and will pursue all appropriate steps to address them.”

Burrill served as the USCCB’s general secretary beginning in November 2020 after helping coordinate the Conference’s response to numerous sexual abuse and coercion sex scandals, including sexual abuse of minors by the clergy, in 2018.

His use of Grindr while doing such work was pertinent to The Pillar’s investigation despite no apparent links between Burrill and minors. Multiple Catholic Church clergy members accused of sexual abuse of minors used Grindr to connect with underage boys and coerce them into illegal sexual activities.

While using this data, The Pilllar’s team criticized Grindr and other dating apps for not using stronger age verification practices for users. A Grindr spokesperson speaking to the New York Daily News focused on how The Pillar was able to access app data as it described, denying it could be publicly accessed.

“The alleged activities listed in that unattributed blog post are infeasible from a technical standpoint and incredibly unlikely to occur. There is absolutely no evidence supporting the allegations of improper data collection and usage related to the Grindr app as purported,” she said. The Pillar stated that it authenticated the app data used in its analysis with an unnamed independent data consulting firm.

Speaking to Vice, Sen. Ron Wyden pointed to Burrill’s case as an example of the threat of anonymous app data collection poses when it falls into the hands of those wanting to unmask users. “Experts have warned for years that data collected by advertising companies from Americans’ phones could be used to track them and reveal the most personal details of their lives. Unfortunately, they were right,” Wyden said.

Burrill made news last month as well when he…approved a measure preventing politicians that voted in favor of abortion rights from receiving communion…President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both staunch Catholics, being among the politicians excluded from the sacrament

“Data brokers and advertising companies have lied to the public, assuring them that the information they collected was anonymous. As this awful episode demonstrates, those claims were bogus – individuals can be tracked and identified,” he added.

Is it a sex scandal? The Grindr spokeswoman also decried The Pillar’s article as “homophobic.” The story refers to same-sex sexual encounters as “serial sexual misconduct” despite all encounters described in it that allegedly involved Burrill were between consenting adults.

Burrill could face “canonical discipline” as a result of the allegations and his former stature in the USCCB. No details of any punishment facing Burrill has been released by the USCCB or the Vatican.

Issue is not just the Catholic gay one, but broader. Burrill made news last month as well when he, along with the USCCB, approved a measure preventing politicians that voted in favor of abortion rights from receiving communion. The ruling gained notoriety due to President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both staunch Catholics, being among the politicians excluded from the sacrament under the measure.

A great interactive illustration of cell data and how it works, is accessible and available here.

Catholic Sex Scandal: Previously on Towleroad

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]]>93Wed, 21 Jul 2021 21:09:21 +0000Last Month The Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress Was Found at Catholic University: Details, Reactions, Rounduphttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/last-month-the-judy-garland-wizard-of-oz-dress-was-found-at-catholic-university-details-reactions-roundup-r92/
 
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judy garland wizard of oz dress

A dress worn by Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ has finally been located.

The legendary blue and white garment worn by the actress’ character Dorothy in the iconic 1939 film vanished just a year after it was gifted to the Catholic University of America (CUA) in 1972 but it was recently found by Matt Ripa, a lecturer at the university.

He shared in a Catholic University press release: “I had looked in our archives, storage closets etc. to no avail. I assumed it was a tall tale.

“I was curious what was inside and opened the trash bag and inside was a shoebox and inside the shoebox was the dress. I couldn’t believe it.

“Needless to say, I have found my interesting things in the Hartke during my time at CUA, but I think this one takes the cake.”

The university has confirmed that the dress will now be properly preserved.

They added: “It can now be preserved in proper storage in a temperature – and humidity – controlled environment so that hopefully, for many more years, it can be a source of ‘hope, strength and courage’ for Catholic University students.”

The university also wrote on Instagram: “In 1973, Catholic University’s @cuatower newspaper wrote about a gift to Catholic University meant to be a source of “hope, strength, and courage” to students. The gift was a dress that is believed to have been worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.

“It was given to Rev. Gilbert Hartke, illustrious head of the drama programme, by actress Mercedes McCambridge, who served as artist-in-residence at CatholicU in 1972.

“For many years, it was rumoured that the dress was still located in Hartke, the building named after the priest, but no one knew exactly where. While preparing for some renovations last month, Matt Ripa, M.F.A. 2008, lecturer and operations coordinator for the @cua_drama in @cuamusicdramaart, rediscovered Dorothy’s Dress.”

Highlights of a Media Maelstrom

Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress

A dress from Judy Garland’s character Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” is certainly not in Kansas anymore. 7News

Here was a rare piece of Tinseltown memorabilia, a farm girl’s blue gingham dress, one of several — though not many — worn by Judy Garland in her role as Dorothy Gale in the classic 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.” It wasn’t quite the famed ruby slippers, but the garment was a fascinating artifact just the same.

The Washington Post

“But, just as Dorothy dared to dream dreams that she wanted to come true, so did Ripa. And he finally got what he wanted on June 7. In the midst of cleaning a building for a renovation, Ripa came across a trash bag in a small space. He took a peek inside and, like magic, the Wizard of Oz dress was in it along with a shoebox. Interestingly, the box also had a message from retired drama professor Thomas Donahue saying “I found this.” Seems like a very casual statement and reaction to such a big find.”

Dorothy’s WIZARD OF OZ Dress Found After Decades of Searching – Nerdist

More bits on the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress

Sometimes, though, dreams really do come true. On June 7, Ripa was cleaning out a building ahead of renovations when he found a mysterious trash bag tucked on top of the faculty mail slots.

— Smithsonian

This fantasy film used sepia tones to introduce moviegoers to Dorothy. The film later changed to technicolor as Dorothy’s house landed in Munchkin Land and killed the Wicked Witch of the East, causing the ire of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West.

The color and print of the dress were intentional, so it would pop out against the green and yellow background colors present throughout the film. The same went for Garland’s ruby red, sparkling slippers which now reside in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

—Wizard Of Oz Dress Worn By Judy Garland Found In Trash Bag At University — Screenrant

This is not the first time renovations at the University have uncovered interesting and valuable artifacts. In 2010, Bishop David M. O’Connell, then-president of the University, found a Rembrandt etching in a restroom closet in his residence.– Catholic University

The dress found in the Hartke building shared those characteristics, the university said, and LIntelman and two colleagues who had viewed it said the “evidence around the dress was strong.”
In 2015, another of Dorothy’s dresses sold for $1,565,000 at a New York auction.

– Catholic University of America,

“We see The Wizard of Oz through our modern eyes as a classic and presume that items like Dorothy’s dress and shoes and perhaps Glinda’s ballgown are in preservation.” —Nerdist

There’s no place like Catholic University when a long-lost Hollywood artifact is discovered.

— New York Post

Talking to Catholic News Service July 7 alongside the famed dress—now safely stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment—Ripa said the finding is a reminder that “you are in a special club and Father Hartke was the coolest.” —Catholic New York

Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress previously on Towleroad

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]]>92Wed, 21 Jul 2021 17:53:09 +0000The Lil Nas X Nike Case To ‘Litigate’ The Satan Shoe Affair Is Promo for New Kanye-Produced Single ‘Industry Baby’ This Weekhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/the-lil-nas-x-nike-case-to-%E2%80%98litigate%E2%80%99-the-satan-shoe-affair-is-promo-for-new-kanye-produced-single-%E2%80%98industry-baby%E2%80%99-this-week-r91/
Lil Nas X Nike
Lil Nas X Nike Showdown

Habitual pot-stirrer Lil Nas X is going to jail. Well, sort of.The celebrated rapper lampooned his Lil Nas X Nike Satan Shoes fiasco from earlier this year in a skit released to his YouTube channel Monday promoting his next single, the Take a Day Trip and Kanye West-produced “Industry Baby.”

The video plants Lil Nas X in a courtroom playing off of the lawsuit Nike filed in response to Lil Nas X and MSCHF’s collaboration on a limited run of unlicensed Nike Air Max 97s dubbed “Satan Shoes.” But, like pretty much everything involving him recently, the “litigation” quickly diverts focus away from the shoes and to Lil Nas X’s sexuality.

The proudly gay artist got a chance to stretch his acting legs a bit, portraying multiple characters, including the judge, both attorneys, a juror and, of course, himself. The multiplicity makes for some hilarious situations, capped by prosecutor Lil Nas X asking defendant Lil Nas X the ultimate question: “Do your mama know your gay?” His affirmative response lands him a five-year prison sentence in Montero state prison, a clear reference to his number-one hit and forthcoming album, before teasing the release of “Industry Baby” and the song’s subsequent video on July 23.

Lil Nas X also launched a website, freelilnasx.com, as a promotional tool and has been playing off of his “prison sentence” on social media, complete with a mock prison ID.

Of course, the court case isn’t real as Nike and MSCHF settled out of court over Nike’s assertion the “Satan Shoes” infringed on Nike trademarks in April.

Lil Nas X provided even more of a tease for the new music video after the skit’s release. On Twitter, the rapper preemptively stated the “Industry Baby” video “is not for your kids!” We’ll all just have to wait to see how not for your kids “Industry Baby” is when it releases on Friday. Until then, have a laugh alongside Lil Nas X and check out the courtroom tease below.

Lil Nas X Nike: Previously on Towleroad

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]]>91Tue, 20 Jul 2021 19:20:30 +0000Grand Jury Indicts Sheriff’s Deputy in Police Shooting of Unarmed Virginia Man Isiah Brown; Faces Up To 5 Years in Prisonhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/grand-jury-indicts-sheriff%E2%80%99s-deputy-in-police-shooting-of-unarmed-virginia-man-isiah-brown-faces-up-to-5-years-in-prison-r90/
police shooting
Victim of a police shooting in which the office says he mistook Isiah Brown’s phone for a gun

Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy David Turbyfill has been indicted by a grand jury in Virginia for the April police shooting of unarmed Black gay man Isiah Brown.

Turbyfill faces one charge of felony reckless handling of a firearm related to the April 21 incident where he, according to Brown family attorney David Haynes, shot Brown ten times after mistaking a cordless phone held by Brown for a gun.

According to special prosecutor LaBravia Jenkins, Turbyfill’s reckless handling of a firearm charge, which is normally a misdemeanor, is being bumped up to a felony due to the level of injuries Brown suffered. According to Haynes, eight bullets were found in Brown’s body, causing “serious internal injuries” including “serious injuries to his bowels.” Haynes also stated that Brown suffered a broken leg and underwent at least four surgeries before being released from the hospital in May. Brown is continuing his recovery at home.

County Sheriff Roger Harris drew criticism early in the investigation after telling a group of protestors gathered outside the Sheriff’s Office that Turbyfill “actually saved this gentleman’s life,” referring to Turbyfill performing CPR on Brown after shooting him.

If found guilty, Turbyfill faces up to five years in prison. “Isiah Brown’s life was shattered and changed forever when he crossed paths with David Turbyfill,” Haynes said in a statement to The Hill. “While this indictment doesn’t take Mr. Brown’s physical pain away, it does signify a measure of justice.”

The April 21 shooting came after Turbyfill responded to a 911 call made by Brown in the early morning hours. Brown argued with his brother about retrieving his car, which had broken down at a local gas station earlier that night, and commented about killing his brother. He denied having a firearm multiple times after initially saying he had one.

Brown exited his mother’s home while still on the phone with 911 dispatch when Turbyfill, who had given Brown a ride home after his car broke down earlier that night, encountered him on the road near the home. Bodycam and 911 dispatch audio released by the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office show Turbyfill responding to the incident as if he believed Brown had a gun. According to Haynes, Turbyfill mistook the phone Brown was using to speak with 911 dispatch for a gun that Brown was holding to his head and fired multiple shots after telling Brown to stop walking toward him.

Both Virginia State Police and the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Brown was unarmed after the shooting. Turbyfill was placed on administrative leave as the police shooting was investigated.

In response to the indictment, Haynes once again called for the release of “all audio communication between the deputy and dispatch, all video from the scene as well as Turbyfill’s employment records and personnel file.” Haynes and the Brown family have made similar pleas in the months since Brown’s shooting, calling for complete transparency from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and filing Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain said records.

Haynes also called for the “immediate termination” of Turbyfill, who had only been employed with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office for a few months prior to the police shooting.

Police shooting:

Turbyfill’s reckless handling of a firearm charge, which is normally a misdemeanor, is being bumped up to a felony due to the level of injuries Brown suffered. According to Haynes, eight bullets were found in Brown’s body, causing “serious internal injuries”

When asked for comment by the Free Lance-Star, Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Maj. Troy Skebo said the Sheriff’s Office had no further comments on the matter. Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger Harris drew criticism early in the investigation after telling a group of protestors gathered outside the Sheriff’s Office that Turbyfill “actually saved this gentleman’s life,” referring to Turbyfill performing CPR on Brown after shooting him.

“I believe that the sheriff was reporting to the fact that he performed CPR, as of course he is required and trained to do. But it is incredible that he would make that statement that he saved his life by rendering CPR after he’s the one that shot him 10 times,” Haynes said in April.

Police Shooting: Previously on Towleroad

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]]>90Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:49:02 +0000India Covid News: Delta Overwhelms Health System, Pandemic ‘Excess Deaths’ at Unbelievable 4.9 Million And Countinghttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/india-covid-news-delta-overwhelms-health-system-pandemic-%E2%80%98excess-deaths%E2%80%99-at-unbelievable-49-million-and-counting-r89/
 
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india covid news

By Ankur Banerjee and Neha Arora

(Reuters) -India’s excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic could be as high as 4.9 million, a new study shows, providing further evidence that millions more may have died from coronavirus than the official tally.

The report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, co-authored by India’s former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, included deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic through June this year.

India’s official tally of more than 414,000 deaths is the world’s third highest after the United States and Brazil, but the study adds to growing calls from experts for a rigorous nationwide audit of fatalities.

A devastating rise in infections in April and May, driven largely by the more infectious and dangerous Delta variant, overwhelmed the healthcare system and killed at least 170,000 people in May alone, official data show.

“What is tragically clear is that too many people, in the millions rather than hundreds of thousands, may have died,” the report said, estimating between 3.4 million and 4.9 million excess deaths during the pandemic.

But it did not ascribe all excess deaths to the pandemic.

“We focus on all-cause mortality, and estimate excess mortality relative to a pre-pandemic baseline, adjusting for seasonality,” the authors said https://bit.ly/2Usm8cE.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.

Some experts have said excess deaths are the best way to measure the real toll from COVID-19.

“For every country, it’s important to capture excess mortality – the only way to prepare the health system for future shocks and to prevent further deaths,” Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization, said on Twitter https://bit.ly/3kCGevC.

The New York Times said the most conservative estimate of deaths in India was 600,000 and the worst-case scenario several times that. The government has dismissed those figures.

Health experts blame the undercounting largely on scarce resources in the vast hinterland home to two-thirds of India’s population of nearly 1.4 billion, and also many deaths at home without being tested.

India has reported a decline in daily infections from a May peak, with Tuesday’s 30,093 new cases making up its lowest daily count in four months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has also been criticised for a messy vaccination campaign that many say helped worsen the second wave of infections.

Just over 8% of eligible adult Indians have received both vaccine doses.

In July, the government administered fewer than 4 million daily doses on average, down from a record 9.2 million on June 21, when Modi flagged off a free campaign to inoculate all 950 million adults.

(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru and Neha Arora in New Delhi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Giles Elgood)

India Covid News previously on Towleroad

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]]>89Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:08:05 +0000NHL Pick Luke Prokop Comes Out as Gay Weeks Before Training Camp; On Track to Become First Out Active Player in National Hockey League Historyhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/nhl-pick-luke-prokop-comes-out-as-gay-weeks-before-training-camp-on-track-to-become-first-out-active-player-in-national-hockey-league-history-r88/
NHL Luke Prokop coming out
Luke Prokop

Pro hockey player Luke Prokop pushed the National Hockey League closer to LGBTQ history on Monday when he came out as gay weeks before entering his first NHL training camp with the Nashville Predators.

“While the past year and a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance to find my true self. I am no longer scared to hide who I am,” Prokop said in a statement released through Twitter. “Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay.”

The 19-year-old prospect was drafted 73rd overall by the Predators in the 2020 NHL draft after spending parts of four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of Canada’s Western Hockey League. The Edmonton native was the 7th overall pick by the Hitmen in the 2017 WHL draft at the age of 15. Prokop would be the first out gay active player in NHL history if he makes the Predators roster, which he has a good chance of doing.

But history wasn’t on Prokop’s mind, he says, when making his declaration. To Prokop, coming out is all about bringing every part of himself to the rink as he strives for his NHL dream. “From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams,” Prokop said. “I hope that in sharing who I am I can help other people see that gay people are welcome in the hockey community, as we work to make sure that hockey truly is for everyone.”

Similar to Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, who became the first active NFL player to come out as gay last month, Prokop expressed his desire to learn more about LGBTQ history and acknowledged “the strong and resilient people who came before me and paved the way so I could be more comfortable today.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman praised Prokop, saying, “I share his hope that these announcements can become more common in the hockey community,” in a statement. “LGBTQ players, coaches and staff can only perform at their absolute best if they live their lives as their full and true selves. We do not take the meaning and importance of this announcement lightly.”

Prokop thanked his friends, family and agents, whom he was already out to, for their “love and support” and quickly found similar sentiments from his new NHL family. The Nashville Predators organization celebrated Prokop for his “courage” and pledged to “support [Prokop] unequivocally in the days, weeks and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect.”

Fellow Predators defenseman Roman Josi echoed the organization’s message. “We’re obviously very proud of [Prokop] for taking that step, ” Josi said. “Our message as a team [is that] we’re obviously very supportive of him.”

Bettman stated the NHL would offer similar support to Prokop. “We pledge to do everything possible to ensure that Luke’s experience is a welcoming and affirmative one and continue to work to ensure that any current or future NHL player contemplating following in his trailblazing footsteps knows our league is ready to provide full support,” Bettman said.

With the first step out of the closet complete, Prokop appears ready to reach his goals, both professional and personal. “This is just the beginning of my journey and I am excited to see where it takes me, both in hockey and in life.”

Prokop will get the hockey side of things rolling when he joins the Predators for training camp in September ahead of the 2021-22 season.

NHL: Previously on Towelroad

Image via Twitter

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]]>88Mon, 19 Jul 2021 18:03:14 +0000Supreme Court Term Limits: Good Solution to Distortions of Lifetime Appointments, But Hard to See A Constitutional Amendmenthttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/supreme-court-term-limits-good-solution-to-distortions-of-lifetime-appointments-but-hard-to-see-a-constitutional-amendment-r87/The Conversation
Supreme Court Term Limits
Lack of Supreme Court Term Limits, lifetime tenure, has pushed the average age of judicial nominees down as presidents appoint younger justices in hopes they will serve for many decades. Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Pressure on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to step down will likely grow now that the court’s session has ended.

Breyer, 82, joined the court in 1994. His retirement would allow President Joe Biden to nominate his successor and give Democrats another liberal justice, if confirmed.

Supreme Court justices in the U.S. enjoy life tenure. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, justices cannot be forced out of office against their will, barring impeachment. This provision, which followed the precedent of Great Britain, is meant to ensure judicial independence, allowing judges to render decisions based on their best understandings of the law – free from political, social and electoral influences.

Our extensive research on the Supreme Court shows life tenure, while well-intended, has had unforeseen consequences. It skews how the confirmation process and judicial decision-making work, and causes justices who want to retire to behave like political operatives.

Problems with lifetime tenure

Life tenure has motivated presidents to pick younger and younger justices.

In the post-World War II era, presidents generally forgo appointing jurists in their 60s, who would bring a great deal of experience, and instead nominate judges in their 40s or 50s, who could serve on the court for many decades.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2005.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

And they do. Justice Clarence Thomas was appointed by President George H.W. Bush at age 43 in 1991 and famously said he would serve for 43 years. There’s another 13 years until his promise is met.

The court’s newest member, Donald Trump’s nominee Amy Coney Barrett, was 48 when she took her seat in late 2020 after the death of 87-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ginsburg, a Clinton appointee who joined the court at age 60 in 1993, refused to retire. When liberals pressed her to step down during the presidency of Democrat Barack Obama to ensure a like-minded replacement, she protested: “So tell me who the president could have nominated this spring that you would rather see on the court than me?”

Partisanship problems

Justices change during their decades on the bench, research shows.

Justices who at the time of their confirmation espoused views that reflected the general public, the Senate and the president who appointed them tend to move away from those preferences over time. They become more ideological, focused on putting their own policy preferences into law. For example, Ginsburg grew more liberal over time, while Thomas has become more conservative.

Other Americans’ political preferences tend to be stable throughout their lives.

The consequence is that Supreme Court justices may no longer reflect the America they preside over. This can be problematic. If the court were to routinely stray too far from the public’s values, the public could reject its dictates. The Supreme Court relies on public confidence to maintain its legitimacy.

Life tenure has also turned staffing the Supreme Court into an increasingly partisan process, politicizing one of the nation’s most powerful institutions.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Supreme Court nominees could generally expect large, bipartisan support in the Senate. Today, judicial confirmation votes are almost strictly down party lines. Public support for judicial nominees also shows large differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Life tenure can turn supposedly independent judges into political players who attempt to time their departures to secure their preferred successors, as Justice Anthony Kennedy did in 2018. Trump appointed Brett Kavanaugh, one of Kennedy’s former clerks, to replace him.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is presented a medal.
Justice Anthony Kennedy receiving the 2019 Liberty Medal from Justice Neil Gorsuch. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

The proposed solution

Many Supreme Court experts have coalesced around a solution to these problems: staggered, 18-year terms with a vacancy automatically occurring every two years in nonelection years.

This system would promote judicial legitimacy, they argue, by taking departure decisions out of the justices’ hands. It would help insulate the court from becoming a campaign issue because vacancies would no longer arise during election years. And it would preserve judicial independence by shielding the court from political calls to fundamentally alter the institution.

Partisanship would still tinge the selection and confirmation of judges by the president and Senate, however, and ideological extremists could still reach the Supreme Court. But they would be limited to 18-year terms.

The U.S. Supreme Court is one of the world’s few high courts to have life tenure. Almost all democratic nations have either fixed terms or mandatory retirement ages for their top judges. Foreign courts have encountered few problems with term limits.

Even England – the country on which the U.S. model is based – no longer grants its Supreme Court justices life tenure. They must now retire at 70.

Similarly, although many U.S. states initially granted their supreme court judges life tenure, this changed during the Jacksonian era of the 1810s to 1840s when states sought to increase the accountability of the judicial branch. Today, only supreme court judges in Rhode Island have life tenure. All other states either have mandatory retirement ages or let voters choose when judges leave the bench through judicial elections.

The Supreme Court of the United States, 1894.
Back in 1894, the Supreme Court was older – not to mention whiter and all male. C.M. Bell/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Polling consistently shows a large bipartisan majority of Americans support ending life tenure. This likely reflects eroding public confidence as the court routinely issues decisions down partisan lines on the day’s most controversial issues. Although ideology has long influenced Supreme Court decisions, today’s court is unusual because all the conservative justices are Republicans and all the liberal justices are Democrats.

In April 2021, President Biden formed a committee to examine reforming the Supreme Court, including term-limiting justices. To end the justices’ life tenure would likely mean a constitutional amendment requiring approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of U.S. states.

Ultimately, Congress, the states and the public they represent will decide whether the country’s centuries-old lifetime tenure system still serves the needs of the American people.

[The Conversation’s Politics + Society editors pick need-to-know stories. Sign up for Politics Weekly.]

Paul M. Collins, Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Artemus Ward, Professor of Political Science, Northern Illinois University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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]]>87Sun, 18 Jul 2021 19:18:23 +0000When A Trans Haven Got Violent Threats, The Residents of ‘Tenacious Unicorn Ranch,’ Felt The Police Could Not Be Trusted to Help. Then What?https://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/when-a-trans-haven-got-violent-threats-the-residents-of-%E2%80%98tenacious-unicorn-ranch%E2%80%99-felt-the-police-could-not-be-trusted-to-help-then-what-r86/
 
Published by
Reuters
 
unicorn ranch

By Leah Millis

WESTCLIFFE, Colorado (Reuters) -The ranch hand walks along rocky ground, the beam of her flashlight cutting through the moonlit night. She holds a shotgun loosely at her side during her patrol of an alpaca ranch founded as a haven for transgender and non-binary people.

Penny Logue, who grew up on a farm, started the Tenacious Unicorn Ranch in Colorado in 2018. It had been two years since Logue had begun her transition and the U.S. Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, had just declared 2017 the deadliest documented year so far for members of the trans and gender non-conforming community, with 31 people killed.

Logue says she saw that many in the LGBTQ community had nowhere to feel safe and struggled to find employment, housing, and peace of mind.

“You have people that are brilliant, that just can’t interact with society in a normal way,” Logue says. “They just get shoved down every time they pop their head up and you watch it over and over and over again.”

Logue initially rented a ranch in northern Colorado to raise alpacas, whose wool is sold as a prized weaving material. In March 2020 the operation moved just outside the small town of Westcliffe in southern Colorado with 86 alpaca, 20 chickens, 40 ducks, several dogs and cats, and nine people.

On the ranch, gender is never assumed. Inhabitants are free to love who they love and be who they are. Rainbow and anti-fascist flags adorn the walls, including one featuring the three arrows of the World War II-era German anti-Nazi, anti-fascist Iron Front.

“I got here and I experienced a love and acceptance that I never did before,” says ranch co-owner Bonnie Nelson. “I had true family for the first time.”

AN UNSETTLING DEMONSTRATION

As they settled into Custer County, the newcomers offered to do odd jobs for neighbors, started a community garden, and helped helm a recycling program.

Logue says that won them a number of residents’ support, despite some ideological differences with conservative Custer County, home to about 5,000 people.

On July 4, 2020, Logue and Nelson headed into town for coffee at their favorite spot. The Westcliffe Independence parade had been canceled because of pandemic restrictions. Logue and Nelson saw a steady stream of protesters, a number of whom were openly carrying guns. Some wore body armor.

Amid American flags, one demonstrator carried a banner bearing the emblem of right-wing militia group the Three Percenters, video of the event shows. Another wore a shirt that declared, ‘It’s OK to be White.’ The phrase, according to the Anti-Defamation League, has become a rallying cry among white supremacists.

Logue said she was the grandchild of Armenian genocide survivors and grew up on stories that taught her to respond to “anything that looks like fascism.” She wrote in a tweet that same day: “The Fourth of July parade in #westcliffe was a Nazi propaganda parade, I’ve never been so unsettled.”

Messages and calls expressing transphobic hatred and disdain for the ranchers’ anti-fascism began then, according to Logue. Reuters has reviewed several hostile and anonymous online messages, two containing death threats. One was an image manipulated to show a gun pointed at the ranch house.

In March, a volunteer escorted two armed men away at gunpoint after they were spotted climbing the hill toward the ranch house, Logue says. The identity of the men is unknown.

The ranchers talked about the hostility in media interviews, hoping increased attention would scare off harassers. Logue says they installed cameras, obtained body armor, began to build a taller fence, and stepped up firearms training.

The ranchers have not reported any of the threats to the Custer County Sheriff’s Department. The ranchers said they declined to do so in part because they had seen Custer County Sheriff Shannon Byerly in a video speaking at a 2015 rally held near Westcliffe on the anniversary of the founding of the right-wing Oath Keepers, whose members believe the federal government is encroaching on their rights and who try to recruit, among others, law enforcement officers.

Byerly confirmed to Reuters that he spoke at the rally, but said that he does not belong to the Oath Keepers. In the speech, a video of which was reviewed by Reuters, he spoke about gun rights and his feeling that some unnamed U.S. leaders were showing signs of “tyranny.” The Oath Keepers did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Byerly said his deputies checked out media reports of threats against the ranch and found no evidence. He said ranchers were not contacted for the informal investigation because his deputies did not feel welcome at the ranch.

In an initial interview with Reuters, he described a “confrontational” exchange between armed ranchers and one of his deputies, who he said was barred from entering the ranch when he went to investigate an April 22 car accident involving a ranch hand.

Footage from the deputy’s body cam video during his visit the day of the accident, obtained through a public records request, shows a single ranch hand, not visibly carrying weapons. The ranch hand told Reuters she was unarmed. The video shows the ranch hand greeting the deputy at the gate, being questioned about the accident, and offering contact information. Asked about the discrepancies, the sheriff acknowledged in a subsequent interview he had been mistaken in his account.

ALWAYS ON GUARD

On a recent day in late June, ranchers and volunteers formed a semi-circle, spreading their arms wide and corralling a few dozen fuzzy alpaca into a holding pen for shearing.

May Quinty Dynamic, a transgender woman from Denver, was among the volunteers. Dynamic said she was thrilled to be surrounded by so many other transgender people. She met Logue, who, like her, also began to transition at the age of 35.

“I’ve been able to talk to everybody and tell my little story over and over,” Dynamic said.

After a long day, Logue made her way back to her room as the sun began to sink, sending shafts of light through thick indigo storm clouds above the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Sore from a day of wrangling alpaca, Logue collapsed onto her mattress and closed her eyes. Outside her door, the sounds of warm chatter and dinner prep filtered down the hallway from the kitchen.

As she began to drift off to sleep, she rolled toward the edge of the bed. Logue’s hand fell off the side of the mattress and came to rest, instinctively, on her rifle.

(Reporting by Leah MillisEditing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O’Brien)

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]]>86Fri, 16 Jul 2021 18:39:43 +0000‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Spills Tea All Over the Pink Tablehttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/%E2%80%98rupaul%E2%80%99s-drag-race-all-stars%E2%80%99-season-6-spills-tea-all-over-the-pink-table-r85/
A'Keria, Eureka and Trinity on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
Let’s talk about sex, baby on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Come on, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six! Let’s get traumatized!

When you’re spilling this much tea while unpacking emotional baggage, things are bound to get messy. (I hope someone brought a Tide pen.) This week’s challenge tasked the queens with revealing intimate details of their lives and most devastating memories all for our viewing pleasure.

But the real juicy stuff happened off the main stage, where it appeared once and for all Jan was about to snap. In fact, it feels like this whole season could end with Jan waking up from a coma, the whole season having only taken place in her mind.

Truly, if you love to watch Jan squirm, this week’s episode basically feels like a supercut.

It all starts with the ceremonial certification of the lipsticks. If you recall, Jan was a bit preoccupied with prognosticating how all the gals would vote last week when she made her vote. She lost the lip sync, so it seems a bit of a nonissue, but when the queens realize the vote is unanimous (or, as Kylie says, “anonymous”), you can see Jan begin to panic.

While all the other queens chose to send home Yara, Jan picked A’Keria, based on wins. It’s a much bigger deal to Jan than it is to the other queens. She goes into a bit of a tailspin needing to know if they all agree to make these decisions mathematically going forward or not.

(It should be noted that every season this sort of “objective” rule is attempted, it never works. There are too many intangibles, and how do you qualify wins vs. lip syncs vs. mini challenges? It starts to feel like an acting challenge inspired by Hidden Figures.)

Again, these queens are unbothered. They tell Jan they’re assessing things a bit more holistically, but the ambiguity is too much for Jan to Jandle.

And herein lies Jan’s central struggle. She is so fixated with giving people — the fandom, Mama Ru, the other queens — what she thinks they want. It gives everything she does that thirsty energy. That’s why she’s struggling with these votes. She’s spending too much time thinking about the “right” answer than doing the sort of soul-searching to make a personal decision.

If ever there was a week to drop the act and be real, it’s this one. Continuing a hot streak of well-crafted challenges, our maxi challenge this week is dedicated to Jada Pinkett Smith’s web show, Red Table Talk. The beloved chat show is famed for its no-holds-barred, vulnerable conversations. Ru barely puts a twist on the format for Pink Table Talk, but it’s a much more compelling way to get to the heart of these queens than Ru’s podcast or Tic-Tac chat.

It might have to do with the queens talking to each other, versus talking to Michelle and Ru. There’s an ease of candor throughout all of these conversations that leads to some really deep revelations.

Well, maybe not an ease in every conversation …

Ru lets everyone get into groups of three and choose a topic: Sex, Body or Motherhood. After the chats, this week’s runway is Clash of the Patterns.

How’d everyone do?

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A’Keria gets real on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Team Sex: Eureka, A’Keria and Trinity

What a misstep for the other queens to let these three come together. First off, Eureka is already an established television talent, thanks to the wonderful We’re Here, so this is already up her alley. A’Keria is looking to bounce back after barely escaping elimination for two weeks. To cap it all off, we’ve got Trinity, who is having a stellar redemption season and is enjoying frontrunner status.

Once they take it to the table, they’re great. A’keria shares that she used to live as a trans woman, but transitioned again to live as a man when out of drag. I hope we hear more about this later this season, because where else on television are these conversations happening?

Trinity discusses what it’s like to have sex as an openly HIV-positive individual. It leans a little too much on educating, rather than her story, but she has other moments throughout the conversation that are light or more off-the-cuff.

Eureka doesn’t disappoint in her role as moderator. She keeps the conversation moving briskly, opens up about her sex life and has just the right jokes to punctuate her story without distracting.

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Three stunning lewks on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

These three are also far and away the best dressed on the runway. A’Keria in particular once again walked a gorgeous lewk inspired by a mannequin, sewing patterns and soft measuring tape wig. Not the first time we’ve seen this kind of thing, but it’s my favorite take so far.

Eureka is head-to-toe flawless in an absolutely exquisite, expertly designed gown that fits her perfectly and mixes wildly different patterns flawlessly. Just stunning.

Trinity brings it, too! Her patterned eleganza has definite Black Panther vibes, and she looks note perfect.

The judges have no choice but to award them top team of the week. I mean, put these three on Wow Presents+. (Or Logo. Or Paramount+. Or VH1. Or Gas Station TV. Whatever, we’ll buy it, you know we will.)

However, all three queens are merely SAFE.

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Scarlet played the part a little too perfectly on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Team Motherhood: Ra’Jah, Kylie and Scarlet

Scarlet really digs her heels in to nab this topic, because she’s got two moms. It’s a cute story. Her mom met her partner later in life at a yoga class. They’re both named Sherry. It’s adorable.

The problem is all in Scarlet’s delivery. This is not a character challenge, and Scarlet keeps dipping into character. It’s like a nervous tic. It’s not exactly like a TikTok influencer trying to show their “goofy” side, but it’s got the same energy, if that makes sense?

On the runway, Scarlet wears a beautiful idea, which is a dress printed with her grandparents love letters, but it’s one of my least favorite things she’s worn this season. You can tell she was sort of enchanted by the concept, which is great, but the presentation lacks that chic edge she’s been bringing.

Ru rips into her performance, giving it one of the most savage reads in the show’s herstory. She says Scarlet made her “uncomfortable.” Could there be a worse critique to get during such an authentic, personal challenge?

Ra’Jah goes into the topic a little concerned, since she’s got a complicated relationship with her conservative mother. It’s clearly difficult for her, but ultimately seems cathartic.

It provides a good opportunity for Kylie, playing moderator, to connect and share her own advice. It’s a powerful exchange, but when the focus turns to Kylie, she offers a pretty underwhelming story about her dog. The judges don’t buy it, and she’s up for elimination.

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Team Body-ody-ody on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Team Body: Ginger, Pandora and Jan

Although not her first choice of topic, Ginger throws herself into the body issues theme. Of course, she can talk about what it’s like as a bigger gal in the queer community, but she also opens up about her medical issues and is a sparkling hostess the entire chat. It’s a strong enough performance to snag her the week’s win.

Pandora is fine. She discusses getting older, losing her abs. She makes just the right amount of jokes to keep it light, but without being overly hammy. She gives great runway, in maybe my favorite look she’s ever worn, inspired by Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

And then there’s Jan. Oh, boy. As you can imag-Jan, Jan really Jans this one. She’s so eager, it’s almost like an SNL sketch about a morning show, with none of the gravitas of Red Table Talk. At one point she does (a very rehearsed) joke about “the vulnerability the judges are looking for.” It just comes off as less of a joke, and more of the all-consuming thought Jan can’t move past long enough to talk about anything else. Just because it’s true, you still shouldn’t say it.

The judges rightfully read Jan for her runway, which looks like something Charli XCX would wear if she played the Misfits in another reboot of Jem and the Holograms.

So, already, Jan is on edge. Then, they go backstage to untuck and Scarlet makes her move. Instantly, before anyone else could seize the narrative, Scarlet establishes that she got glowing critiques, completely omitting Ru calling her uncomfortable.

Talk about alternative facts! You can see Jan recoil. She’s twitching like it’s an encore of “Womanizer.” How NO ONE says anything is both shocking and so, so fun to watch.

Because Jan has the most to lose here. It feels like it’s between Scarlet and Jan, so if the three safe queens who missed hearing the judges buy into Scarlet’s story, it’s Jan who will likely go home. Jan is very direct with Ginger, but there’s no big blowup with Scarlet in front of everyone.

There’s a quick fake out with this week’s lip sync assassin. At first, Bianca “Never Lip Synced” del Rio is revealed. It’s just a gag to get a few Bianca barbs in before we get the real lip sync assassin of the week, Mayhem Miller. Eh.

Luckily, Ginger absolutely murders a performance of Lizzo’s “Phone.” Not a moment is wasted. Mayhem is fine, and, more importantly, plays along with Ginger for some really great exchanges. Ru loves it, and Ginger grabs the cumulative $30k pot that’s been building. She pulls out the lipstick and sends Scarlet home.

For now.

So where does that leave us now? Let’s run down our rankings.

  1. I’m sticking with my girl Trinity at number one. She executed her vision perfectly this week during Pink Table Talk and on the runway. She gets more likable every episode, and I’m obsessed with everything she’s wearing.
  2. Eureka is not to be underestimated. Last week’s high placement felt a little flukey to me, but she’s yet to stumble so far. There’s a great maturity in Eureka, and she’s really learned how to leverage that big personality as to not always suck up all the air in the room. I love this iteration of Eureka.
  3. Ra’Jah may have lost a little steam, but this was an important week for her to show a more vulnerable side. She may not have slayed any individual part of the week, but the willingness to let those walls down goes far with Ru.
  4. Started from the bottom, now Ginger is here. She caught a few bad weeks, but this week’s edit was determined to sell the story of Ginger’s comeback. And it did! How could you not love that lip sync? It was so, so good, and she looked amazing.
  5. Pandora is holding strong, but slipping to the middle of the pack. She delivered on the assignment this week, just barely sharing enough for credit. Her runway was really strong, but she needs a breakout performance, and soon.
  6. I do so hope this is the start of an A’Keria bounceback. These runways have not been given the love they deserve. I can certainly envision a future in which A’Keria’s revelation empowers her to be more authentically herself overall in this competition and leads to a resurgence. Well, a blogger can dream, at least.
  7. Believe it or not, I don’t intend to be cruel to Jan. But the only way through this obsession with achievement and perfection and people-pleasing is only shattered by accepting the absurdity and futility of guessing what anyone wants. Wouldn’t you love to see what Jan could do if Jan truly didn’t give a f***? If she can’t break this pattern soon, it will be her downfall this season.
  8. I’m not sure why Kylie isn’t vibing with the judges just yet. I thought her moment with Ra’Jah was really powerful, even if her own story was sort of meh. Her Steven Tyler was overlooked, and her runways have all been killer. It does feel like she may be on borrowed time unless she can really start to stand out.
  9. It was a tough week to pick someone to go home, but Scarlet was probably the right pick. I also found her Pink Table Top tone to be unnerving, and the gown was a snooze. (A lovely, touching snooze, but a snooze all the same.) I know (and she clearly knows) she has a lot more to show, and I would be interested to see her fight her way back to the competition through whatever game-within-a-game is yet to unfold.

How would you rank the queens?

Catch up with all our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars recaps.

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]]>85Fri, 16 Jul 2021 17:00:28 +0000Supreme Court LGBTQ: This Season’s Final Report: Minor Victories, Could-Have-Been-Worse Losses, Trepidation About Futurehttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/supreme-court-lgbtq-this-season%E2%80%99s-final-report-minor-victories-could-have-been-worse-losses-trepidation-about-future-r84/
supreme court lgbtq
Supreme Court LGBTQ wins and losses can be tallied with end of the session last week.

Trends

The U.S. Supreme Court session that just ended amounted to mostly a “tread water” experience for LGBT people—with several little victories and no spectacular losses. But there are sharks in these legal waters, nipping at equal protection for LGBT people in the name of religion, and prospects for the future are unsettling.

The days of the blockbuster wins for LGBT people seem over, at least for the foreseeable future. No more triumphs, like the 2015 decision to strike state bans on marriage for same-sex couples (Obergefell v. Hodges) or the 2013 decision to strike a federal law (DOMA) which banned recognition of such marriages (U.S. v. Windsor). No surprise epic, like last year’s ruling that “sex discrimination” prohibited by the federal civil rights law includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Bostock v. Clayton).

ACB is no RBG, Champion of Supreme Court LGBTQ Wins

In the 2020 session, which adjourned July 2, the composition of the court curdled to the right and, more specifically, to the religious right. The court’s most pro-LGBT justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, died and was replaced by Amy Coney Barrett just as the session got underway. This alone brought a sense of dread and gloom for LGBT prospects going forward. Ginsburg had voted pro-LGBT 90 percent of the time; many expected Barrett to vote just as frequently against LGBT people.

“You cannot write anyone off on the court at this point,”

David Cole, ACLU Legal Director


Barrett had only two LGBT-related opinions to weigh in on this session. In one, Americans for Prosperity v. California, she voted with other conservatives to hold that California’s law requiring that the identities of major donors to tax-exempt organizations be reported to the state violates the First Amendment right of association for donors.

In the other, Fulton v. Philadelphia, she voted with a unanimous bench to hold that Philadelphia’s interest in eradicating discrimination against LGBT people “cannot justify denying [Catholic Social Services] an exception for its religious exercise” in excluding gay couples from foster care. She, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh voted the same way on both cases.

Bridge, Golf, 4-Square, And Supreme Court Appeals…

And Barrett, Roberts, and Kavanaugh apparently withheld their consent to grant review of several lower court decisions that LGBT people had won below. It takes four justices to agree to hear an appeal before the court will accept it for review. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas wanted to hear four different appeals where LGBT people won in the lower courts. In one of those four appeals, the Alito-Thomas duo had a third vote from Justice Neil Gorsuch. But they didn’t get the critical fourth, and that left the pro-LGBT rulings below intact.

Appeals Refused: Lower Court LGBTQ Wins That Stuck

The appeals that were snubbed included:

• Arlene’s Flowers v. Washington—in which the Washington Supreme Court ruled that a state non-discrimination law does not violate the First Amendment free exercise rights of a florist who claimed her religion required her to deny service to same-sex couples seeking flowers for their weddings. In this case, Justice Gorsuch joined Alito and Thomas, wanting to hear the appeal.

• Gloucester v. Grimm—in which the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that, following the Supreme Court precedent in Bostock, a Virginia school district did violate Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act when it refused to allow a transgender male student to use the boys’ restroom and locker room.

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Supreme Court LGBTQ: Many-times divorced Kim Davis denies marriage license and kept trying

• Texas v. California—in which the state of Texas sought to file a “bill of complaint” directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging a California law that prohibited state-funded travel to certain states, including Texas, which had policies hostile to LGBT people.

• Kim Davis v. Ermond—in which the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a county clerk in Kentucky could not refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the Obergefell decision. Once again, Justices Thomas and Alito dissented. (Note: Barrett was not yet on the court when this case was rejected for review.)

Clear Conservative Shift

Gary Buseck, senior adviser to GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), said he was heartened by Barrett’s concurrence in Fulton. Barrett wrote a brief concurring opinion, explaining why she did not go along with the request to overturn a Supreme Court precedent called Employment Division v. Smith. Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch urged the court to do so, saying Smith burdens the free exercise of religion.

In Smith, the Supreme Court ruled that a state could deny unemployment benefits to a person fired for using illegal drugs as part of a religious ceremony. The 1990 decision said a state law denying benefits to employees fired for “misconduct” (illegal drug use) was generally applicable to all persons.

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Supreme Court LGBTQ future is not the brightest with the arrival of Amy Coney Barrett

Barrett said she was “skeptical” about the idea of “swapping Smith’s categorical anti-discrimination approach for an equally categorical strict scrutiny regime….” She said the Supreme Court “has been much more nuanced” in its approach and there was no reason in the Fulton conflict to overturn Smith.

Justices Kavanaugh and Stephen Breyer signed onto Barrett’s concurrence.

“You cannot write anyone off on the court at this point,” said ACLU legal director David Cole, in a post-session discussion.

Cole noted that the Supreme Court has had a majority of Republican-appointed justices since 1972 and yet has made “substantial progress” on issues such as marriage equality. The key, he said, is that the Supreme Court “doesn’t depart very far from where country is” and, “because the country had moved to a point where there was just not a good reason to deny marriage equality in 2015,” the court ruled for marriage equality in 2015.

Look Out. Outlook for Next Season

University of California-Berkeley School of Law Professor Erwin Chemerinsky, speaking at a Supreme Court analysis session by the National Constitution Center on July 8, said he sees a Supreme Court “in transition,” since Barrett replaced Ginsburg. He said it is clear there won’t be any 5 to 4 decisions with liberals in the majority, and the conservative majority now means most cases will be more conservative appeals.

New York University School of Law Professor Melissa Murray, speaking at the same session, predicted a continued “move toward religion as having ‘most favored nation’ status” at the Supreme Court.

Two cases are already in the queue for next session: One asks whether a Catholic-run hospital can deny a hysterectomy to a female-to-male transgender patient. Another asks whether Boston, which allows LGBT Pride flags to fly on city property during pride month, can deny a Christian group to fly its flag on the same property.

© 2021 Keen News Service. All rights reserved.
Kim Davis pooto by By davidvmoore1976 –

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]]>84Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:06:36 +000011 Must-See Miami Spots for Gay Travelers with Childrenhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/11-must-see-miami-spots-for-gay-travelers-with-children-r83/
There's no shortages of places for kiddos to dig into sand on a number Miami's beaches. Photo courtesy of the GMCVB.
There’s no shortages of places for kiddos to dig into sand on a number Miami’s beaches. Photo courtesy of the GMCVB.

Miami’s sexy, late-night party scene and chiseled, tan bodies may not seem an obvious destination for LGBTQ+ Parents, gay travelers with children. However, the city offers unique culture, gorgeous natural settings and tons of fun activities to delight visitors of all ages instead of (or between) the parties.

Gay travel to Miami with kids may look different than it did when you came as a single 20-something, but that’s the beauty of it. There are so many different experiences awaiting travelers, each visit is an opportunity to uncover another side of the region. Don’t worry if all you know of Miami is Twist, Palace and Gaythering; we’ve got you covered.

Beyond the beach, nature-loving kids and parents can explore parks, hit the water and even interact with the wildlife that call the Everglades home. As a cultural hub, Miami’s museums boast plenty to enrich and entertain the whole family. And if you think Miami’s haute cuisine and Cuban flavors are out of reach for the kids, think again. 

Click through our gallery of must-see spots for gay families visiting Miami. 

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]]>83Wed, 14 Jul 2021 22:42:45 +0000Happy Bastille Day? C’est Compliqué. French Ambiguity Lets You Celebrate Storming The Bastille, National Unity, Or A New York Restauaranthttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/happy-bastille-day-c%E2%80%99est-compliqu%C3%A9-french-ambiguity-lets-you-celebrate-storming-the-bastille-national-unity-or-a-new-york-restauarant-r82/The Conversation
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The Fête de la Fédération at Champ de Mars on July 14, 1790. Woodcut by Helman, from a picture by C. Monet, Painter of the King. Bibliothèque nationale de France

French people travelling to or living in English-speaking countries are sometimes surprised when asked about their plans for “Bastille Day”: they refer to the day as Quatorze Juillet (14 July).

France’s National Day is not really about the storming of the Bastille, and the day’s English language name conveys a misleading image. But it gives us an interesting glimpse into how the English-speaking world imagines France’s revolutionary past.

The most common misconceptions about the French National Day are that it is a celebration of the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14 1789, and commemorates the official beginning of the French Revolution.

It is, in fact, a far more complex story.

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Jean-Pierre Houël (1735–1813), The Storming of the Bastille, 1789. Bibliothèque nationale de France

While English speakers refer to Bastille Day, in France the day is intimately related to a different historical event: the Fête de la Fédération (Festival of the Federation), a mass gathering held on July 14 1790.

In 1789, the people of Paris attacked the Bastille: a political prison, a symbol of the monarchy and an armoury. The citizens aimed to seize weapons, ammunition and powder to fight the royal troops stationed in the vicinity of Paris.

1790’s Fête de la Fédération was designed to inaugurate a new era which abolished absolutism and gave birth to a French constitutional monarchy.

Tens of thousands of people from all provinces converged on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris to attend a military parade led by Lafayette, a mass celebrated by Talleyrand, and a collective oath-taking culminating in short but rousing speeches from King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.

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Oath of La Fayaette at the Fête de la Fédération, 14 July 1790, painter unknown, c1790-1791. musée de la Révolution française

It was not an annual event: simply a day to herald in a period of national unity.

Less than three years later, the king and queen’s heads would meet the guillotine’s blade and the constitutional monarchy was replaced with the French First Republic.

An ever-moving date

France has had many days of national celebration, each reflecting the politics of its time.

Napoleon I (Emperor from 1804 to 1814) declared citizens should celebrate August 15: the date of his name day and of the Assumption of Mary.

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The imperial decree that proclaimed August 15 (Napoleon’s name day) as National Day. Bibliothèque nationale de France

Under the Restoration (1814-1830), the regime celebrated its kings on their name days: Louis XVIII (1814-1824) on August 25 and Charles X (1824-1830) on May 24.

The July Monarchy (1830-1848) under Louis-Philippe I celebrated its birth in the heat of the “Three Glorious Days” of July 27 to 29 1830.

The Second Republic (1848-1852) adopted May 4, the first meeting of the National Constituent Assembly in 1848. Another new political regime celebrated itself once again.

Under the Second Empire (1852-1870), Napoleon III returned France’s national day to August 15: his name day.

In a little less than a century, France changed its national day half a dozen times.

New symbols for a new era

The disastrous and humiliating defeat France suffered against Prussia in 1871 led to the fall of Napoleon III and the advent of the French Third Republic, which needed its own new symbols.

For almost 15 years, there was fierce conflict between partisans of a monarchy and those in favour of a republican regime. The memory of the French Revolution became one of their main battlegrounds, and the choice of a national day an object of dispute.

Read more: Friday essay: what is it about Versailles?

Some advocated for July 15, the name day of the last Bourbon pretender, Henri, Count of Chambord, in the hopes of an imminent restoration.

Left-wing radicals pushed for January 21, the anniversary of Louis XVI’s beheading in 1793.

Others wanted to celebrate the Tennis Court Oath, which signalled France’s rupture with feudalism on June 20 1789.

In the spring of 1880, politician Benjamin Raspail submitted a motion to declare July 14 the national day: a date shared between the Fête de la Fédération — a symbol of unity for the right — and the left-oriented image of the storming of the Bastille.

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Bastille Day military parade photographed at Longchamp in 1880. Collection of Jean Davray

Thanks to the ambiguity of the date, the motion was passed into law — without specifying which Quatorze Juillet was to be commemorated. Raspail’s motion received the parliament’s approval based on the connection to the Fête, but the question of meaning was left open.

Bastille Day Today

Quatorze Juillet inextricably embodies the curious and divisive legacy the French Revolution carries for the French. Beneath the veneer of celebrations, the question of the intrinsic nature of the Revolution and whether its goals — Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité — have been achieved is often relegated to the background.

It isn’t a day for reflection or politics. It is a day of leisurely family activities and celebrations, adorned with a lavish military parade displaying French power on the Champs-Elysées. In the evening, fireworks and popular dances known as Bal des pompiers (the Firemen’s Ball) take place throughout the country.

It is a time for fraternal celebrations, very much the ambition of the original Fête de la Fédération. References to the storming of the Bastille are invisible or near-invisible. The Revolution is seldom mentioned in the presidential interview.

Symbols of the 1789 Revolution are still the subject of contradictory interpretations and public controversy, as the recent Yellow Vests movement has shown. It is precisely this carefully maintained ambiguity in Quatorze Juillet which has enabled its endurance as France’s National Day: it can mean many things to many people.

The French can project their own understanding of what is being celebrated. They can choose between the storming of the Bastille and the people; the Fête de la Fédération and national unity; and everything in between.

Or they can simply enjoy a day off and admire the fireworks with their friends and family, oblivious to the complex story behind July 14.

Romain Fathi, Senior Lecturer, History, Flinders University and Claire Rioult, PhD candidate in Early Modern History, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

But if You Were Young and Downtown In New York City Around 1990 Bastille Day is Florent …

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Bastille Day Previously on Towleroad

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]]>82Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:39:13 +0000Billy Porter Pose: Found Growth Playing Pray There’s ‘a whole generation of us who haven’t really been able to process what happened.’https://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/billy-porter-pose-found-growth-playing-pray-there%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98a-whole-generation-of-us-who-haven%E2%80%99t-really-been-able-to-process-what-happened%E2%80%99-r81/
 
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billy porter pose

Billy Porter’s role in ‘Pose’ helped him “heal” from his “trauma and grief”.

The 51-year-old actor – who revealed earlier this year he was diagnosed as HIV+ 14 years ago – could see similarities between the journey of his character, Pray Tell, and his own life, and the FX series has also helped his friends realise they still had issues to “process”.

He told E! News: “What I understood from day one was that I could use Pose and the character of Pray Tell in proxy for my own healing and my own journey with trauma and grief as it relates to that time period.

“One of the things that has stuck out for me about the whole thing is a lot of my older friends were calling and saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that I had anything left to process.'”

The final season was set in the mid 90s and saw Pray Tell offered a spot on an HIV drug trial and Billy recalled how once the medication was developed that made the illness easier to manage, “everybody moved on, as if it never happened”, leaving a “whole generation” with struggles they still need to work through.

He explained: “So there’s a whole generation of us who haven’t really been able to process what happened to us in relation to healing trauma.

“And that’s been the biggest part of this particularly in the last season, is how I’ve been able to use it as an agent of healing. And I hope that as an example we can be that for others.”

The Emmy award-winning star hailed appearing on the show, which came to an end last month, as his “greatest, greatest honour” and he thinks it’s had a significant cultural impact.

He said: “The whole process for me, from start to finish, has really been about stepping into what visibility means and how art has the power to change the hearts and minds of people from the inside out.

“It’s like my goal has always been my art as activism, my art as healing. It has been very healing to me and to be able to share that energy through this work with the world has just been my greatest, greatest honour.”

Billy Porter Pose previously on Towleroad

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]]>81Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:44:48 +0000Trump Hitler Connections. Report that Trump told Chief of Staff that Hitler ‘did a lot of good things,’ Is One Of Too Many.https://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/trump-hitler-connections-report-that-trump-told-chief-of-staff-that-hitler-%E2%80%98did-a-lot-of-good-things%E2%80%99-is-one-of-too-many-r79/

Far from the first Trump Hitler Connection .

During her divorce, Ivana noted that Trump kept books of Hitler’s speeches in the bedroom and read them before bed in a 1990 Vanity Fair profile.

Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and New Yorker spoke of Donald Trump pouring wine down the back of a reporter who noted a book of Hitler’s speeches in his office.

In 2016 it was reported that not one, but two new compilations of Hitler’s speeches had astonishingly, images of Trump on the covers.

And, of course there are many comparisons of Trumps political trajectory and strategies to those of Adolf Hitler. Like the preponderance of Russians floating around the campaign, it’s hard to imagine a benign intention for a man fascinated with absolute power and little else.

Towleroad Editor.

 
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trump hitler
Former US president Donald Trump reportedly told his chief of staff that ‘Hitler did a lot of good things,’ according to an upcoming book

Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump, during a visit to Europe while US president, told his chief of staff that “Hitler did a lot of good things,” The Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing an upcoming book.

Trump’s then chief of staff John Kelly was reportedly “stunned” by the remark.

The exchange is recounted in the upcoming book, “Frankly, We Did Win This Election,” by Michael Bender of The Wall Street Journal, the British newspaper said.

The Guardian said it had obtained a copy of the book ahead of its publication next week.

Trump reportedly made the comment while Kelly was giving the president an impromptu history lesson during a 2018 visit to Europe to mark the end of World War I.

According to the book, Kelly had “reminded the president which countries were on which side during the conflict” and “connected the dots from the first world war to the second world war and all of Hitler’s atrocities.”

“Well, Hitler did a lot of good things,” Trump reportedly said.

Kelly reportedly “told the president that he was wrong, but Trump was undeterred,” emphasizing German economic recovery under Hitler during the 1930s.

“Kelly pushed back again,” the Guardian quoted Bender as writing, “and argued that the German people would have been better off poor than subjected to the Nazi genocide.”

Kelly told Trump that even if his claim about the German economy under the Nazis were true, “you cannot ever say anything supportive of Adolf Hitler. You just can’t.”

The Guardian said Bender has interviewed Trump since he lost the November 2020 election and the former president has denied making the remark about Hitler.

Kelly, a former Marine Corps general who left the White House in early 2019, has made a number of critical comments about Trump following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of the former president.

Trump Hitler previously on Towleroad

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]]>79Tue, 13 Jul 2021 18:05:05 +0000Emma Corrin, played Diana in ‘The Crown’, Chooses Gender Neutral Pronouns; Posts Stunning ‘intimate…new…cool’ Images in Chest Binderhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/emma-corrin-played-diana-in-%E2%80%98the-crown%E2%80%99-chooses-gender-neutral-pronouns-posts-stunning-%E2%80%98intimate%E2%80%A6new%E2%80%A6cool%E2%80%99-images-in-chest-binder-r80/
 
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Emma Corrin

Emma Corrin wants to be gender neutral.

The 25-year-old star – who is best known for portraying Princess Diana in ‘The Crown’ – has revealed that she wears a chest binder made by a transgender-owned company and that she now uses the pronouns she/they.

Alongside a set of black and white images of Emma wearing boxing wrap – a fabric binding used by boxers – she wrote on Instagram: “some time before I bought my first binder, messing around with @sirdavidsimon, we used boxing wrap, thanks for capturing this with me, very intimate, very new, very cool. It’s all a journey right. Lots of twists and turns and change and that’s ok! Embrace it (sic)”

Chest binding is often used by people who wish to give the appearance of a flatter chest. However, Emma didn’t explain why she personally chooses to wear it.

Emma uses binders from gc2b, which is billed as the “very first gender-affirming apparel company that is trans-owned and operated”.

Emma’s post prompted a series of supportive messages from some of her showbiz pals, including singer Paloma Faith.

She wrote on the photo-sharing platform: “Beautiful pictures xx (sic)”

Artist Arlo Parks described the photos as “angelic” and the official Netflix account responded with a series of heart emojis.

Meanwhile, Emma previously suggested that her new-found fame has been made more manageable because of ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Speaking about her rise to stardom since appearing in ‘The Crown’, she explained: “When the show was coming out, we weren’t able to be together as a cast to celebrate it.

“We were so proud of it, but haven’t seen each other since [before] the first lockdown. It has been so strange – and sad. But perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. A friend said to me that at least it has meant that the focus has been on the work, not on events in, say, LA – and that’s what it’s all about for me.

“It has also made the whole explosion more manageable. I’ve had time to come to terms with it, I suppose.”

Emma Corrin previously on Towleroad



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]]>80Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:36:44 +0000Notorious Founders Of ‘Conversion Therapy’ Group Exodus Never Did ‘Pray Away’ the Gay; Come Out Again, Slam Similar Programs in Netflix Dochttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/notorious-founders-of-%E2%80%98conversion-therapy%E2%80%99-group-exodus-never-did-%E2%80%98pray-away%E2%80%99-the-gay-come-out-again-slam-similar-programs-in-netflix-doc-r78/
Pray_Away_01.-1024x576.jpg
“Pray Away”

The rise and continued struggle against LGBTQ conversion therapy gets a close examination in the new Netflix documentary “Pray Away,” slated for release in August.

The film chronicles the history of Exodus International, an organization founded in the 1970s by a group of gay Christians searching for a way to combat their same-sex attractions through their religious faith. The Florida-based organization was one of the first to promote conversion therapy, popularizing the phrase “pray the gay away” as a mantra, before the devastating psychological effects of conversion therapy were known or widely discussed.

“Pray Away” features interviews with multiple former Exodus members who publicly lauded how conversion therapy helped them become “ex-gay” only to come out as LGBTQ years later and decry the practice they helped popularize. A new trailer released Tuesday features many of these figures as well as current-day promoters of conversion therapy and people seeking to divest themselves of their LGBTQ identities despite modern knowledge of conversion therapy’s repercussions.

20 states and scores more individual cities have bans on conversion therapy for minors in place and nearly every major health organization, including the World Health Organization and American Psychological Association, have discredited conversion therapy as a practice.

The film is the latest Netflix offering from producer Ryan Murphy. The “Pose” creator co-produced “Pray Away” alongside Blumhouse Television’s Jason Blum, whom he previously collaborated with on the lesbian love-filled Netflix documentary “A Secret Love” and the HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer’s HIV/AIDS epidemic play “The Normal Heart.” The project also marks the feature-length directorial debut of accomplished short-form documentary filmmaker Kristine Stolakis.

For Stolakis, the story of “Pray Away” holds a personal connection. Her uncle underwent conversion therapy after coming out as trans as a child. “He spent his lifetime believing that being straight and cisgender was the only way to be psychologically healthy and spiritually accepted,” Stolakis said in an interview with Women and Hollywood. “It wasn’t until I discovered leaders of the movement, people who claimed that they had themselves changed from gay to straight who were teaching others to do the same, that I understood the depth of his hope and his resulting trauma when he, of course, was unable to change himself.”

“When you believe you are doing the right thing, and when you are taught that the only way to be accepted in your family, community and society at large is to be straight and cisgender, there is a lot of motivation to believe change is possible,” Stolakis continued.

The film debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival after being delayed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Pray Away’ debuts on Netflix on August 3.

Conversion Therapy: Previously on Towleroad

Image courtesy of Netflix

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]]>78Tue, 13 Jul 2021 15:57:09 +0000A Stunning Portfolio of Sexy Bears Photographed a Decade Ago is Inspiring A Sexy Bear From A Decade Ago Will Inspire Just As Your Bear Week Takes Off. Be Kind . Do it. Don’t Signal it. ‘Love Your Shirt…You Look Great’ It was Sanctuary. I went eveyr yehttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/a-stunning-portfolio-of-sexy-bears-photographed-a-decade-ago-is-inspiring-a-sexy-bear-from-a-decade-ago-will-inspire-just-as-your-bear-week-takes-off-be-kind-do-it-don%E2%80%99t-signal-it-%E2%80%98love-your-shirt%E2%80%A6you-look-great%E2%80%99-it-was-sanctuary-i-went-eveyr-year-with-bi-r77/

The Bear Bros in This Sexy Portfolio From A Decade Ago Are Inspiring Many Kicking Bearweek into High Gear

Inspire your Bear Week that’s Just Starting With The Stunning Photographs Of Sexy Gay Bears From a Decade Ago Will Get You On the Right Track As Your Bear Week Takes Off

Hot Bear Summer Starts Now. ‘Love your shirt.’ ‘You look great.’ A Stunning Portfolio of Sexy Gay Bears in their Natural habitat (Ptown) Will Inpire Just As Bear Week Takes off. The Message? Just Be kinder (Do it rather than signal it.) That Kindness creates the ds, inclusive, Sanctuary by just being nicer (

These Stunning Photographs of Sexy Gay Bears Gathering 10 Years Ago Will Inspire Your Best Bear Week. Artist Paul Specht Recalls the Sanctuary, particularly for the bigger guys he goes with every year. If The Bear Bros Have a Message for 2021 It’s To Just Be Kinder

Get On the Right Track for Your Bear Week. Stunning Portfolio of Sexy Bears from A Decade

bit more quiet

Sanctuary. went every year with bigger guys and they always felt so at ease and no judgement.

Be Kinder

Love your shirt. p

10 More Years of Bears And Where Their Natural Habits At. Paul’s first journey to Provincetown was in the summer of 1981. He distinctly remembers traveling down Commercial St with his family in their beige station wagon. “I recall peering out the window and having my mother telling me not to stare. I was not yet a teenager but there was a feeling with the people on the streets that told me I was home.”

incetown Week of the Bears. From the jarring Saturday turnover after July 4th when one set of Circuit Guy priorities is shipped out and the Bear Behaviors in priorities, projected positions, passions, and partnershipsand that paths are crossed with Circuit Week (Some years there’s a buffer week)

1.-Eric-on-Commercial-St-July-2007--1024

Eric on Commercial St July 2007

2.-Mike-at-Tea-Dance-at-the-Boatslip-Jul

Mike at Tea Dance at the Boatslip July 12 2009

3.-David-and-Jesse-July-2010-a-1024x1024

David and Jesse July 2010

Paul Specht grew up on the North Shore area of Massachusetts , just outside of Boston. He developed his love of photography from his father who gave him his first 110 camera. In 1987 he attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst to pursue a BFA in print making before graduating from Boston’s New England School of Photography where he studied portraiture. Paul’s first journey to Provincetown was in the summer of 1981. He distinctly remembers traveling down Commercial St with his family in their beige station wagon. “I recall peering out the window and having my mother telling me not to stare. I was not yet a teenager but there was a feeling with the people on the streets that told me I was home.” Paul currently resides in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts with his husband Eric.

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/paulspechtphotography/

Current Project The Self Portrait Series Book available on Blurb
https://www.blurb.com/books/10671709-self-portrait-stories

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]]>77Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:01:27 +0000Space Pride: Richard Branson Honors Pulse Victims with Pride Flag on First Commercial Space Flighthttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/space-pride-richard-branson-honors-pulse-victims-with-pride-flag-on-first-commercial-space-flight-r76/
Screen-Shot-2021-07-12-at-1.12.26-PM.png

The “Billionaire Space Race” brought a bit of space Pride to the party Saturday thanks to Virgin Galactic owner Sir Richard Branson. The 70-year-old billionaire completed the first commercial space flight on Saturday, and, though he didn’t bring a camera along, he have a Pride flag onboard in honor of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting.

In a pre-flight interview with Mail on Sunday, Branson said that he choose to bring a Pride flag along for the ride after “Somebody who lost a loved one at the Orlando massacre asked if I would do that.” He continued, “We also have many, many friends who are gay and I know people who lost friends there.”

The Virgin Galactic flight came one month after the site of Pulse nightclub was designated as a National Memorial just after the fifth anniversary of the shooting. 49 people lost their lives in the 2016 attack and dozens more were injured.

Richard Branson
Richard Branson

Branson has previously lent his voice to pro-LGBTQ causes. He pushed fellow global business leaders to be more proactive in combatting regimes and legislation in nations that criminalize LGBTQ identities, stating that “scores of countries continue to marginalize, criminalize and persecute LGBT+ populations … I feel that every opportunity to stand up for what we believe in is a good opportunity to shift the conversation on a global scale.”

Branson’s conglomerate, Virgin Group, is also counted among the signees of the Open for Business coalition, a group of companies committed to workplace diversity and inclusion alongside expressing concern “about the spread of anti-LGBT+ policies in many countries in which they operate.”

Bringing Pride to space in the name of one of the most traumatic events to affect the LGBTQ community in the U.S. brought much celebration, but Branson hasn’t commented on if he would offer financial support to organizations supporting Pulse shooting victims and their families.

Richard Branson: Previously on Towleroad

Photo courtesy of Aleksandr Andreiko/Creative Commons

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]]>76Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:56:50 +0000‘Everyone, meet John,’ Dillon Passage Intros New Boyfriend, Says He’ll Support His Ex, Joe Exotic and Will Welcome Him Home After Jailhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/%E2%80%98everyone-meet-john%E2%80%99-dillon-passage-intros-new-boyfriend-says-he%E2%80%99ll-support-his-ex-joe-exotic-and-will-welcome-him-home-after-jail-r75/
 
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dillon passage

Dillon Passage has revealed he’s in a new a relationship.

Joe Exotic’s estranged husband – who announced earlier this year he was splitting from the ‘Tiger King’ star after four years of marriage – has revealed he’s found a new boyfriend, John.

Sharing some pictures of them together, he wrote on Instagram: “Everyone, meet John.

“I’ve planned on keeping my relationship private for personal reasons but lately I’ve been having a hard time dealing with things happening in my life and John has been my rock and helping me get through it all.

“In short, this is an appreciation post for this special special man. Thank you for being you.”

Dillon, 22, married Joe just nine months before the latter was arrested and eventually jailed for 22 years after being convicted of plotting a murder-for-hire against Big Cat Rescue rival Carole Baskin as well as other charges.

And in March, he took to Instagram to confirm the pair had split, as he explained the decision to end their romance was in part influenced by the unwanted attention Dillon has received since Joe’s life and arrest were made the subject of a Netflix documentary.

In a lengthy statement, Dillon wrote: “In November of 2017 I met Joe who was there for me during a difficult time in my life.

“After just 9 short months he was arrested and, for the last two and a half years, we have been apart. I’ve always stood by his side and will continue to always love and support him.”

He admitted the decision wasn’t an easy one to make.

He continued: “To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce. This wasn’t an easy decision to make but Joe and I both understand that this situation isn’t fair to either of us.

“It’s something that neither of us were expecting but we are going to take it day by day. We are on good terms still and I hope it can stay that way.

“I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation.

A month later, Joe insisted the pair were trying to make their romance work, but 58-year-old former zoo operator admitted he’d understand if Dillon walked away.

He said: “You know, if he needs to move on I have to respect that, I can’t expect him to just hang on forever.

“He has told me time and time again … if I make it out of here alive, I still have a home to come to.

“So, he said he is not going anywhere, all right? That is all I can say because that is all I know.”

Dillon Passage previously on Towleroad

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]]>75Mon, 12 Jul 2021 16:22:17 +0000Eddie Izzard Pronouns: Is An ‘Honor’ when ‘She’/’Her’ Used; But Warns Those Thinking of Coming Out About “a 10 year rite of passage, Arthurian knights… to rejig your life”https://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/eddie-izzard-pronouns-is-an-%E2%80%98honor%E2%80%99-when-%E2%80%98she%E2%80%99%E2%80%99her%E2%80%99-used-but-warns-those-thinking-of-coming-out-about-%E2%80%9Ca-10-year-rite-of-passage-arthurian-knights%E2%80%A6-to-rejig-your-life%E2%80%9D-r74/
 
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eddie izzard pronouns

Eddie Izzard has advised people who want to come out that “life will get better”.

Although the 59-year-old transgender comedian warned those who want to reveal their sexual or gender identity that there is a “10 year rite of passage” and it will not be all “plain sailing” after coming out, she insisted that she is happier than she has ever been since revealing her true self.

Speaking to Natasha Devon on LBC Radio, Eddie said: “I think it’s easier than it’s ever been to come out, LGTBQ+, it’s probably easier than it’s ever been to come out but there might be an idea that boom, your life is made, you’re going to have relationships, you’re going to have a job, that a whole bunch of stuff comes with it.

“It doesn’t in fact. Once you come out there’s a 10 year rite of passage, Arthurian knights, where you have to learn to rejig your life with your being out. That’s a bit of a saga.

“I’m sort of battle-hardened now. I’m sorry if people are having a tough time. Do come out but know there’s still a ten year acclimatization fight after that that is there and you have to account for that. Don’t think it’s all going to be plain sailing after that because it isn’t.”

Eddie confirmed in 2019 that her preferred pronouns are she / her and called it a “great honour” when people use those to refer to her.

She explained: “If you can stay that course, your life will be so much better. It’s such a great honour when someone refers to me as she or her. It’s such a great honour.

“Every time someone says it I go woah, what a hit, it’s just very positive.”

Eddie Izzard Pronouns previously on Towleroad

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]]>74Mon, 12 Jul 2021 15:09:04 +0000Olympics vs. COVID Finals Down To Wire: Postponed a Year; Fans Banned Last Week, Tokyo State Of Emergency Today; Athletes Cancelhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/olympics-vs-covid-finals-down-to-wire-postponed-a-year-fans-banned-last-week-tokyo-state-of-emergency-today-athletes-cancel-r73/
 
Published by
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olympics vs. covid

Olympics vs. COVID

TOKYO (Reuters) -Olympic host city Tokyo entered a new state of emergency on Monday, less than two weeks before the Games begin amid worries about whether the measures can stem a rise in COVID-19 cases.

Organisers last week announced that spectators would be banned from nearly all venues. Spectators from abroad were already banned months ago, and officials are now asking residents to watch the Games on TV to keep the movement of people, which could spread contagion, to a minimum.

Opinion polls have consistently shown the Japanese public is concerned about going ahead with the Games during the pandemic.

Prime Mininster Yoshihide Suga’s handling of the pandemic – including an initially slow vaccination rollout – has eroded his support. The issue is especially sensitive ahead of a national election and a ruling party leadership race due later this year.

“We would ask people to support athletes from home,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on a Sunday TV programme.

The Games, postponed from last year because of the pandemic, run from July 23 to August 8, while the state of emergency – the capital’s fourth – lasts until August 22, shortly before the Paralympics begin.

The government and organisers had long seen the Games as a chance to display Japan’s recovery from a devastating 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis.

On Saturday, the governor of Fukushima prefecture, site of the nuclear disaster, said spectators would also be banned from softball and baseball games there, reversing an earlier decision.

RISING TOKYO INFECTIONS

World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic said on Sunday he was “50-50” about competing at the Tokyo Olympics following the organisers’ decision to ban fans from attending and limits on the number of people he can take to the Games.

Some of the sport’s biggest names, including Rafa Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios, Serena Williams and Simona Halep have already said that they will skip the Games.

Japan has recorded more than 815,440 COVID-19 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths.

Recent rises in Tokyo have been particularly worrisome amid a vaccination rollout that got off to a slow start and has faced supply glitches after speeding up. Only about 28% of the population has received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tokyo recorded 502 new cases on Sunday, the 23rd straight day of week-on-week gains, and experts worry that the public has grown weary of restrictions, mostly voluntary, on activities.

The coronavirus curbs include asking restaurants to close early and to stop serving alcohol in exchange for a government subsidy, measures that have hit the eateries hard and caused many to complain of unfairness as the Games are set to go ahead.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also in charge of the pandemic response, sparked outrage when he suggested late on Thursday he would ask banks to put pressure on eateries that do not comply with the stricter measures.

In an about-face, the government’s top spokesperson Kato said on Friday it had decided banks would not be asked to press restaurants and bars that do not follow the government request to stop serving alcohol under the emergency restrictions.

On Monday, “Anyone but LDP or Komeito” was trending on Twitter, a reference to voting for political parties other than Suga’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party or its junior coalition partner, the Komeito, in the coming parliamentary election.

“I’m not a restaurateur, but this administration that couldn’t come up with effective anti-coronavirus steps despite having a year to get ready for the Olympics… is no good,” said one angry Twitter user.

(Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Michael Perry and Gareth Jones)

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Olympics vs. Covid previously on Towleroad

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]]>73Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:23:17 +0000Hungary Gay and LGBTQ Activists Protest Latest Anti-LGBTQ Law with 30-Foot Rainbow Hearthttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/hungary-gay-and-lgbtq-activists-protest-latest-anti-lgbtq-law-with-30-foot-rainbow-heart-r72/
Hungary gay

Hungary gay and LGBTQ advocates staged a 30-foot high protest across from the nation’s parliament on Thursday, filling the landscape with a 10-meter heart displaying the Progress Pride flag on the same day the country’s latest anti-LGTQ legislation went into effect.

Organized by Hatter Society, Hungary’s largest LGBTQ activist organization, the action was the first in what was described as a continued civil disobedience campaign against the Hungarian government’s efforts to criminalize and dehumanize LGBTQ people under Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“We think that the only path we can pursue is civil disobedience, and we will not change anything about our activities,” Hatter Society spokesperson Luca Dudits told the Associated Press. Advocacy group Amnesty International Hungary participated in Thursday’s demonstration as well, stating, “We protest at Hungary’s Parliament and stand with the 100,000 LGBTQ youth who will face the terrible consequences.”

The law that went into effect Thursday outlaws showing content depicting homosexuality or trans identities to minors. It also requires government approval for an organization to hold an educational program discussing sexual orientation in Hungarian schools. “[The law] stigmatizes LGBTQ people and actually puts LGBTQ youth more … in danger of bullying and harassment in schools and in their families as well,” Dudits said.

European Union officials continued their decrying of the homophobic and transphobic law in the leadup to its enacting Thursday. EU executive Commission head Ursula von der Leyen called the law a”disgrace” in a speech to the European Parliament Wednesday, stating, “This legislation uses the protection of children as an excuse to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.”

The EU adopted a resolution Thursday condemning Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ legislation “in the strongest possible terms” for its “intentional and premeditated example of the gradual dismantling of fundamental rights in Hungary.”

Amnesty International Hungary director David Vig lauded the EU’s support for their fight. “We expect EU institutions to act firmly and the European Commission to start an infringement procedure,” Vig told the Associated Press. “This is in clear contradiction not just with EU values, but also with binding EU law and the commission’s LGBTQ strategy.”

Hungary Gay: Previously on Towleroad

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]]>72Sat, 10 Jul 2021 18:14:05 +0000QAnon, Alex Jones Threats Force San Francisco Gay Chorus Office to Close; Insist Clever Song About Coming to ‘Teach Your Kids Not to Hate’ As Proof of Pedophiliahttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/qanon-alex-jones-threats-force-san-francisco-gay-chorus-office-to-close-insist-clever-song-about-coming-to-%E2%80%98teach-your-kids-not-to-hate%E2%80%99-as-proof-of-pedophilia-r71/
san francisco gay
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus temporarily closed its office and sent all staff home on Thursday after receiving a bevy of death threats and doxxing attempts from members of various alt-right communities, including followers of Alex Jones and QAnon.

Death threats and baseless accusations of pedophilia appeared shortly after the video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube

The wave of hate spawned from the release earlier this week of a performance titled “A Message From the Gay Community.” The clearly tongue-in-cheek bit of musical satire and empowerment from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus speaks to the changing societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ communities, highlighting the acceptance of queer identities at all ages, salted with just a little turning of terms used frequently to demonize LGBTQ people.

There’s really no escaping it
’cause even grandma likes Rupaul
And the world’s getting kinder
Gen Z’s gayer than Grindr

“The far-right conservative media found our ‘Message…’ video and have taken it as their cause,” the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus said in a statement Thursday. “They have taken the lyrics out of context to support a narrative that suits their intolerant and hateful needs.”

But the use of the phrases “We’ll convert your children” and “We’re coming for your children,” a clear reclamation effort to turn societal critiques of the gay community back on homophobes in the context of the song, was all the bigots latched onto. Death threats and baseless accusations of pedophilia appeared shortly after the video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube, and it quickly spread to other pockets of the internet.

[This post contains video, click to play]
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TLRD ACTION San Francisco Gay Chorus Teach Your Children Not To Hate

This video embed is from one of the opposing entities. These are the folks leading others to purposefully interpret the song not as education about prejudice but as a threat to turn kids gay. Not only does the other side have the richer history of coming for our kids, forcing them to act and live false lives of heterosexuality, they are the ones backed by evangelical organizations with explicit missions that include coming for and “saving” our kids who don’t need conversion or saving. If they care about groups organized to secretly protect members in a seeming mission to abuse and rape young people, pass them over to the Catholics, or Congressional Republicans.

Help push back against this by speaking out on the video, in the comments and at minimum registering a comment and thumbs up for the video to piss them off.

“We have received emails, phone messages, threats across all of our social media platforms — not just the chorus, but the staff, as well as the soloists who were featured in the song,” Chris Verdugo, executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, told SFist. “The [Youtube] comment that continues to stick out in my head is the one that said ‘We’re going to put lead in your head.'”

“We have received emails, phone messages, threats across all of our social media platforms — not just the chorus, but the staff, as well as the soloists who were featured in the song,” Chris Verdugo, executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, told SFist. “The [Youtube] comment that continues to stick out in my head is the one that said ‘We’re going to put lead in your head.'”

Verdugo also revealed that a Twitter user created a spreadsheet of chorus members based off screenshots taken from the video and began calling their workplaces, claiming they were employing pedophiles. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus responded by privateing the original video and has been working to scrub any unauthorized versions of the video from the internet. Verdugo and the chorus’s leadership decided to close its headquarters Thursday night in an effort to protect its staff.

According to The Advocate, the fervor around the video seemed to catalyze after alt-right disinformation peddler and seller of subpar “supplements” Alex Jones devoted a hate-filled segment of his InfoWars program to the matter. The death threats and other hate speech soon followed.

The strain of pedophilic accusations falls in line with actions taken by followers of the QAnon conspiracy. The Q community co-opted the slogan “Save The Children” over the last year to the extent that the actual charity Save The Children was forced to publicly disassociate itself from the #SaveTheChildren hashtag multiple times.

Social justice is a mantle we take up, and we take it up loudly. We won’t back down.

Chris Verdugo, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus executive director

Wrapping the conspiracy theory’s false beliefs in the flag of simply fighting child sex trafficking has been an effective way to bring people into the community, though conservative figures convicted or accused of actual child sex crimes avoid persecution from its members. Some have even erroneously claimed that chorus members in the video are registered sex offenders.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus stated that it has been in contact with local and federal law enforcement regarding the deluge of intimidation. Verdugo didn’t disclose when the chorus’ offices will reopen, but he remains steadfast in the chorus’ mission of activism through artistic expression in the face of the alt-right’s barrage.

“For us, it’s not only about the artistic product that we put out, but also about our being activists. Social justice is a mantle we take up, and we take it up loudly,” Verdugo said. “We won’t back down.”

San Francisco Gay: Previously on Towleroad

Photo courtesy of Pax Ahimsa Gethen/Creative Commons

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]]>71Fri, 09 Jul 2021 21:31:49 +0000‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Halftime Headliners Meet Their Janifest Destinyhttps://www.companyofmen.org/news/gay-news/%E2%80%98rupaul%E2%80%99s-drag-race-all-stars%E2%80%99-halftime-headliners-meet-their-janifest-destiny-r69/
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
Come on, season six, let’s get Sharkening!

If there was any gripe remaining about the talent of this cast, this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars certainly erased any lingering concerns. A slam dunk of a maxi challenge, a beautiful runway and runtime dedicated more to performance than pettiness, helped showcase just how fierce these queens really are.

While most got a chance to shine either in the challenge or runway, this week’s episode really revolved around Jan. We have some fun here at Jan’s expense, mostly due to her inability to hide her intense need to win, even as she is swearing, no, really, she is totally chill now. Gentle ribbing aside, Jan is an unquestionably talented, hard working queen. It’s just our queer duty to take the piss out of anyone taking something so seriously, especially drag.

Jan’s journey is the crux of the episode around which all other parts rotate, even if it forces some story beats. Regardless, this was a delightful challenge, maybe one of the franchise’s best.

Everybody off the field! Let’s dig in.

Catch up with all of our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage.

OK, is it reductive to make a bunch of jokes about queer people being bad/disinterested in sports? Hmmm, maybe. But, there’s also an undeniable kernel of truth there too, isn’t there?

RuPaul, of course leans into it, but the real joke is how this challenge will be using songs generously donated by an artist waving all publishing fees — the great RUPAUL.

But these are RuPaul tracks like you’ve never heard them before! On the radio! At a Dave and Buster’s! Reimagined in the style of some of pop’s all-time biggest divas and artistes. Instead of the singular artist Rusical we’re used to, this allows the queens to embody a wide variety of styles, and it’s surprisingly delightful to hear Ru’s songs through these different musical lenses. It’s a refreshing, TikTok-inspired spin on a lip sync challenge.

The gals all choose their icon, and there are some really good options in the mix. Kylie takes a bold swing at Steven Tyler; Scarlet is Katy Perry in full Left Shark; Ra’Jah embodies Ru favorite Diana Ross; and Eureka picks Madonna. For most of the prep and rehearsal with Jamal Sims, we barely so much as check in with this group. They’re all fine!

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Ra’Jah as Diana Ross on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 6.

The bulk of the episode focuses on the other half of the queens. Pandora takes what I consider to be a pretty risky move choosing the first Super Bowl halftime entertain-ter (and first-ever Snatch Game favorite), Carol Channing. It might feel a little “been there, done that,” but seeing it live, truly no one else could’ve done it justice. Yara also sticks to her comfort zone, taking on Shakira (an act she does regularly in Vegas) and even overruling Jamal’s choreo.

Ginger gets sidled with portraying Fergie, the least distinct of all the available characters. She looks the part, and she does her best to infuse the performance with energy, but it’s got the least to work with, both in inspiration and script. (I want to personally speak to Ru’s writers for failing to include a “Let’s play some basketball!” reference here.)

A’Keria is out to re-establish herself after last week’s bottom showing by showing her bottom as Prince. It’s another daring risk, but there’s potentially big reward.

However, the whole ep focuses on Jan’s Jandetta. Will she be able to Janslaughter her “safe” curse once and for all? She chooses Lady Gaga to emulate, which almost feels like an unfair advantage. Jan relishes all the ways she’s similar to Gaga, and she’s not wrong. They both have a theatricality and, truly, “live for the applause.” Jan is singularly focused and seems unstoppable …

… Until Trinity. Good golly. Trinity has her own history to avenge. Remember when she said she wanted to be Beyoncé in Vegas, and Bianca said she looked more like Sammy Davis Jr. in a wig? It’s ok if you don’t. For me, it was just one of dozens of Bianca’s barbs, but to Trinity, it really hit hard. She’s determined to close the show and — finally! — give Drag Race a Beyoncé performance worthy of Queen B.

AND BOY DOES SHE DELIVER. I say this completely honestly: Trinity’s performance gave me actual chills! On Drag Race! During a Super Bowl parody! To a RuPaul song! That’s how good it is. She looks flawless, dances better than most B-level pop stars (looking at you, Dula Peep) and doesn’t just close the show; she destroys it.

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RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six gives us a glimpse at gay heaven.

Unfortunately, as Valentina sort of said: a Trinity win does not make sense with this episode’s Jantasy. It’s a close call between them, but the judges ultimately go with Jan for the much-delayed win. I personally would’ve went with TKB, or maybe even a split win!

But that’s not the only odd judging call. Joining Trin and Jan in the top is … Eureka? Um, ok. It’s not that Eureka wasn’t good, but so many other performers were more memorable. Both Pandora and Kylie deserved recognition more than the Elephant Queen.

The bottoms are all over the place, too. Ginger’s nondescript Fergie makes sense here, but she’s joined by Yara and A’Keria. The judges’ beef with Yara is her lackadaisical facial expressions, and they find fault with the lack of funk in A’Keria’s Prince. There definitely could’ve been a little more oomph in both performances, but less compelling than Scarlet’s Katy Perry? I think not.

Ultimately, Ru puts A’Keria and Yara in lipstick contention. Jan faces off against season two’s Jessica Wild to lip sync to (#free)Britney Spears’ Circus banger “Womanizer.” Jan really commits to a spastic robot routine, but it doesn’t heighten or have any real payoff. (I did like the “fall for you” jump-split fake out.) Jessica doesn’t need any gimmicks, just a head on an absolute swivel, swinging around her wig in some most impressive hairography. Ru picks her as the winner, adding another $10k to next week’s pot.

Jessica pulls out the lipstick to reveal it’s Yara’s time to go. (Or is it?!! We’ve got a few more weeks until the halfway point, which is when this “game within a game” should come to a head.)

Next week the girlies sit down for some serious chat on Pink Table Talk (#ifkyk). For now, let’s take stock of where each queen stands in our rankings.

  1. Trinity is pulling ahead of the pack, both as a performer and a personality. We’re seeing a lighter, more mature Trinity, and it’s impossible not to root for her on and off the runway. The judges poo-poo’d her frilly runway, but that seems like cheap justification to fulfill the Proph-Jan-cy. (OK, enough, I promise.) Now that Jan got her win, we can go back to Trinity’s season-long redemption arc.
  2. Ra’Jah had an understated week, but still came correct. To do Diana Ross and get no notes is actually a pretty big deal, considering she’s Ru’s No. 1 diva. Ra’Jah did Diana right, and her runway was elegant and polished. She already staked her claim at the top earlier this season with a big win and a strong lip sync. She’s very much in the running.
  3. The judges love Eureka, and there’s a lot of reasons why. She’s dynamic, she wears her heart on her sleeve, she’s not afraid to be foolish and she can deliver glamour. I thought her halftime performance was worthy of safety, at most, and the runway was cute, but not stunning. Still, there’s a lot of potential here, and we’ve yet to see Eureka fully unleash. If this is Eureka at an 8, imagine when she cranks it to 11.
  4. Jan has dug her heels in to the top tier of this group, and she is not going to slide back easily. She arrived with some seriously elevated outfits, including this week’s frilly Westworld fantasy. Maybe having finally secured her first Drag Race win, she can unclench a little.
  5. How has Pandora been so underrecognized this season? She’s been great in these challenges, particularly the variety show, commercial and this week’s Carol Channing performance. Her runway this week was absolutely one of her best. What gives?
  6. Kylie belonged in the top this week, full stop. She absolutely crushed it as Steven Tyler, doing a faithful impersonation with a touch of humor. She nailed his mannerisms, and there was some real artistry in both the performance and presentation. She also had one of the most beautiful, striking frills runways. Next week’s preview foreshadowed a struggle with standing out, which hopefully signals a hurdle for her to overcome (and not a final nail.)
  7. As gorgeous as she consistently is, Scarlet is getting lost in the shuffle. Katy Perry isn’t the most compelling pop star (sorry!), so she was at a bit of a disadvantage. However, Scarlet needs to prove she’s more than just a beautiful clothes hanger.
  8. Ginger is slipping, y’all. Fergie was maybe the toughest pop star to portray, and Ginger really did all she could. But now she’s spent a couple weeks in the bottom. We’ve had a few performance/musical/comedy challenges, and if Ginger hasn’t made her mark with those, I worry if her chance to make a splash has passed.
  9. I’m really at odds with the judges when it comes to A’Keria. For starters, I enjoyed her Prince. I see the judges’ qualms, but they seem really small, comparatively. Certainly none of their notes could ever steal any shine from that flowering runway. I mean, just wow. I’m hoping she can steady herself and stick around.
  10. Yara definitely wants to win, but she seems to want to win purely for being Yara and not for playing all the little Ru-eindeer games. She was more interested in phoning in her usual Shakira routine than learning from Jamal. Her runway was neither a direct hit being on theme, nor did it leave much of an impression. Her reluctance to demonstrate her desire to stay was ultimately her undoing. You gotta be in it to win it. Yara is an unquestionably fierce queen and established star. She really doesn’t need this win to prove anything. Apparently, not even to herself.

How would you rank the queens?

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]]>69Fri, 09 Jul 2021 17:00:00 +0000