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Published by BANG Showbiz English Matt Damon has said he “stands with the LGBTQ+ community” after backlash over his comments about using a homophobic slur. The 50-year-old actor recently revealed his daughter called him out for using the word “f*****” and explained why it is so “dangerous”, and now he has insisted he does not “use slurs of any kind”. Now, he said in a lengthy statement to ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “I have never called anyone ‘f*****’ in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. “I do not use slurs of any kind. I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself ‘one of the good guys’. “And given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. “To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community.” Damon also went into detail on the initial conversation with his daughter, and said he was “thrilled at her passion” and “values”. He said: “During a recent interview, I recalled a discussion I had with my daughter where I attempted to contextualise for her the progress that has been made – though by no means completed – since I was growing up in Boston and, as a child, heard the word ‘f**’ used on the street before I knew what it even referred to. “I explained that that word was used constantly and casually and was even a line of dialogue in a movie of mine as recently as 2003 [in ‘Stuck On You’]. “She in turn expressed incredulity that there could ever have been a time where that word was used unthinkingly. “To my admiration and pride, she was extremely articulate about the extent to which that word would have been painful to someone in the LGBTQ+ community regardless of how culturally normalized it was. “I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values and desire for social justice.” Damon – who has daughters Isabella, 15, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10, along with stepdaughter Alexia Barroso, 22, with wife Luciana Barroso- revealed his use of the slur in an interview with The Sunday Times over the weekend. He said: “I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’ She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.” Vote Slur Support Or Spin below! Slur previously on Towleroad Damon on Entertainment Tonight Soccer Star Quinn is First Out Trans Nonbinary Olympic Gold Medalist as Canada Tops Sweden in 3-2 Shootout August 6, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Queens Show Off Funk, Spunk on Snatch Game of Love August 6, 2021 Read More NY AG Details HRC Leader Alphonso David’s Roles in Cuomo Scandal; Sparks Scrutiny By Staff, Partners, Press And Calls To Resign August 6, 2021 Read More Covid Booster Shots Likely Offered Soon To People With Compromised Immune Systems — Fauci ; Priority Include People With HIV August 5, 2021 Read More AIDS Groups Release Open Letter to DaBaby; Denver Cancels Festival He Was to Headline; IHeartRadio, Austin City Limits Also Drop; WednesDababy Update August 4, 2021 Read More Billy Eichner ‘s ‘Big, Gay Divorce Comedy’ ‘Ex-Husbands’ Headed To Amazon; ‘It’s the Gay ‘War Of The Roses’ You’ve Been Waiting For!’ August 4, 2021 Read More Tennessee Trans Bathroom Bill Alleged to Violate Title IX. Human Rights Campaign Sues on behalf of the the affected children. August 4, 2021 Read More Wentworth Miller Autism Diagnosis is Revealed With Shocking Humility; Out ‘Prison Break’ Actor To Study Before Amplifying Cause August 4, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

QuinnAs conversations around the inclusion of trans and nonbinary athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympics continue to pop up, Quinn, the Canadian soccer player who represents both communities, let their final word on the subject be golden. Quinn, along with four other out LGBTQ players and out coach Bev Priestman, defeated Sweden in the women’s soccer gold medal match Friday after a tense penalty shootout. The win makes Quinn the first out trans nonbinary gold medalist in the history of the Olympics. “It’s incredible. This is a lifetime dream. This team is amazing. They’re my second family,” Quinn told the CBC post-game. “We’ve been through so much together. I have no words to describe how much they mean to me. They just allow me to be myself and I know everyone feels that same.” Quinn out The subject was on their mind before ever stepping onto the pitch at the Tokyo Games as well. “I feel proud seeing ‘Quinn’ up on the lineup and on my accreditation. I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world,” Quinn said in an Instagram post following Canada opening match against Japan on July 21. Their participation in that match made them the first out trans nonbinary athlete to compete at the Olympics, just days ahead of Smith and one week before trans New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard. “I feel optimistic for change. Change in legislature. Changes in rules, structures and mindsets. Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams,” they added. “The fight isn’t close to over… and I’ll celebrate when we’re all here.” There are undoubtedly more battles ahead for trans, nonbinary and LGBTQ people coming out a historically queer Olympiad, but Quinn’s success, Smith’s joyous presence and Hubbard’s courage were statements that resonated throughout cultures worldwide. And now Quinn has the best memento to signify what these games meant to queer audiences everywhere. Quinn Olympics: Previously on Towleroad Soccer Star Quinn is First Out Trans Nonbinary Olympic Gold Medalist as Canada Tops Sweden in 3-2 Shootout Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Olympics: Raven Sunders Challenges All; First Ever Trans Woman, Non Binary Athletes Compete. LGBTQ Medal Count Hits 20 Brian Bell August 3, 2021 Read More Olympic Rankings If All The LGBTQ Athletes Were A Team They Would Be 7th in Gold Medals, 8th Overall. Plus 6 Pages of Photos in Tokyo And At Home Michael Goff August 2, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes Brian Bell July 31, 2021 Read More More LGBTQ Athletes Than Ever At Olympics (166+); Tom Daley Gold Medals; France Gets Judo Silver; Japan Takes Softball Gold, Team USA Gets Silver Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More Olympics vs. COVID Finals Down To Wire: Postponed a Year; Fans Banned Last Week, Tokyo State Of Emergency Today; Athletes Cancel Towleroad July 12, 2021 Read More Screenshot via Twitter View the full article

It costs a lot to look this cheap on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. It’s time for a game within a game on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season six: Snatch Game! Of course, All Stars rules are in effect, which means instead of the stacked panel gameshow free-for-all, we get the Snatch Game of Love, a divisive challenge among the fandom. There are, of course, good and bad performances, but the challenge itself has its own quirks. For starters, the inspiration switch from Match Game to The Dating Game doesn’t feel quite right. It’s somehow more of a parody and less of an homage. However. By splitting the gals into two smaller groups, there’s less of a frenzy for screentime. It’s great news if you’ve got a lot of sharp material, but it’s a nightmare for struggling queens. And, boy, was that on full display this week. I at least have to admire this cast for showing up prepared. Everyone’s got a character down, and they all (eventually) settle on a POV. Competing for the hearts of Cheyenne Jackson and Fortune Feimster, the gals get gussied up in their best celeb drags, but not everyone can stand the hot seat. Ginger as Phyllis Diller, Trinity as Whitney Houston and Kylie as Dolly Parton on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Ginger, Trinity and Kylie Our first group really comes out swinging, starting with Snatch Game superstar Ginger as the iconic comedian Phyllis Diller. I wish Ginger pushed her costuming and voice further, but there’s no denying the jokes were there. Let this be a lesson for future comedy queens: When it comes to Snatch Game, portray a, well, comedy queen. Roseanne, Paula Poundstone, Sarah Silverman … it doesn’t matter. Because, as Ginger demonstrated, it becomes less about the character and “What would this person do in this situation?” and more about just firing off punchlines. It’s all about making Ru laugh, and Ginger has her in stitches. From the outside, Trinity’s Whitney Houston looks fantastic, but even TKB knows this is not her challenge. She admits she’s not a quick queen, which I disagree with, but whatever. Her frontrunner status becomes something of a hindrance here, as she’s hoping to skate by based on her previous two wins. It’s a risky move, and it’s certainly not any fun to watch. Ru and the queens even try to feed her the very obvious joke about “having nothing,” but even that reaches Miss Fame levels of “How’s your head?” obliviousness. I came into this week most concerned for Kylie (who reminds us she was the first queen in herstory to be sent home after Snatch Game performance). When she announces she’s doing Dolly Parton, I immediately raise my hackles. I must confess, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a HUGE Dolly Parton fan. (I am actually, truly writing this from Pigeon Forge as I’m visiting Dollywood.) It’s an excellent Snatch choice. Dolly is a big personality with a very specific sense of humor that is perfect for this exercise. Kylie has it all down. Of course, she’s giving us the body-ody-ody, but she’s also got her Dollyisms down. (Even the little hand stirrup at the end of her sleeve was a nice detail.) The best part is the interplay between Ginger’s Phyllis and Kylie’s Dolly. It’s a relentless volley off Ru, off one another and both dunking on Trinity. There are almost too many jokes to keep up with. Ginger obviously has a slight edge, but Kylie stays right there with her, matching her punchline for punchline. Ru looks like he needs oxygen. Eureka as Divine, Pandora as Kim Cattrall and Ra’Jah as La Toya Jackson on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Eureka, Pandora and Ra’Jah The last time we saw Eureka play the Snatch, the judges loved her Honey Boo Boo. It’s a character that worked so well with Eureka’s big personality and broad, physical humor. This go ’round, she’s choosing to channel the legendary Divine. She looks incredible. The makeup, the hair and the body are perfect, no notes! The problem is with her characterization, which seems based exclusively on Divine in Pink Flamingos. It leads to a repetitive and unpleasant Snatch dominated by Eureka as Divine campaigning for murder. It’s not a train wreck by any means, but all her bluster throws a lot of sand into the gears of this group. Pandora, for example, is quite rattled. Already reeling from last week’s trip to the bottom and subsequent shocking tie, she’s also coming into this challenge with huge expectations. Pandora famously stole the show (though didn’t win!) the first every Snatch Game with her Carol Channing. This time, she’s trying to do Kim Cattrall. It’s not a bad idea, but Pandora plays her in the most obvious way possible — in character as Samantha Jones making non-stop sex puns. Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave a lot of room to respond to what else is going on in the game. It’s all very one-note, and she sort of shakily warbles that note. Finally, Ra’Jah makes the brilliant move to do La Toya Jackson. Already, La Toya is a character, and there is a TON you could do here. More importantly, Ru LOVES La Toya. In the werk room, Ru gives Ra’Jah a little anecdote about La Toya once saying her favorite food was sushi, but she doesn’t like fish or rice. With that, Ra’Jah is off to the races. I mean, she crafts every single joke around the notion that La Toya is just a sort of ditzy bundle of contradictions. Way to take the note! (Though, selfishly, what I wouldn’t give for a reference to two of my favorite La Toya moments: Fighting with Nene on Celebrity Apprentice and when she was reunited with Michael’s chimp, Bubbles.) This trio lacks the sizzle of the first group. It’s uncomfortable to watch, and even Ra’Jah’s little nuggets about being a workout instructor who hates working out can’t put enough sparkle on the aggressive turd Eureka’s Divine is making us all choke down while Pandora’s sadsack Samantha just sort of sits there in a pile. Even our celeb contestant, Fortune Feimster, can’t pick a winner. The runway tonight is pop art themed, which sounds so promising, but everyone mostly comes down in Warholian frocks plastered with colorized portraits of themselves. Yawn. Trinity is a notable exception, combining this week’s pop art theme with a political message for Black and Trans lives. It also looks STUNNING, but the combo of art and politics really hits here. Kylie shows a little something different as well, highlighting some buttcrack cleavage — a thing I didn’t even know existed until now! Ra’Jah misses the mark with something a little too simple, and not pop art enough. The judges have extraordinarily high praise for Ginger and Kylie. They make a point to tell Kylie this is the hardest they’ve seen her pushing herself in this competition, and I agree. Unfortunately, the win still goes to Ginger, whose PPM (punchlines per minute) was just undeniably higher than all the other girls (maybe combined). Of course, the judges ding Trinity, who continues to shrug it off. (She’s also thrown a bit by guest judge Tina Knowles-Lawson, who’s a real bore.) But once Pandora is in the bottom, the writing is on the wall. They try to tease the unexpected, claiming Trinity is resting on her laurels and basically hedged her bets not trying in the Snatch Game. But, come on, this should have been Pandora’s week. If she wasn’t going to get a dominant win in the Snatch Game, then when? After stalling out the last few weeks, this was her chance for a comeback that just never got off the ground. It’s clear she’s got to be the one to go. Ginger lip syncs to Sheena Easton’s “Sugar Walls” against season 12 Miss Congenialty Heidi N Closet. Heidi loses her wig early in the number, and we all know what that means. Regardless, Ginger serves the kind of campy, silly sync we’ve come to expect to great success. She snatches another win, and another $20,000. She pulls out the lipstick to reveal it’s Pandora’s time to pack her wigs and go. That leaves us with only a top five (and then, like, maybe a bunch of other queens off competing on an island for some kind of Merle Ginsberg Memorial Idol). If this “game within a game” ends up being just another week where the eliminated girls compete in one challenge for the chance to come back, this is going to be a disappointment. But we’re running out of time for it to be much more than that! What do you think the game within a game will be? However it shakes out, whoever returns, there will be quite the competition awaiting. After so much complaining about this season’s cast prior to the premiere, this batch of All Stars have proven more than worthy of the title and, perhaps, provided us one of the most unpredictable, neck-and-neck All Stars seasons. Where do the ladies stand? Let’s review in this week’s rankings. 1. After a series of strong performances, a second win and a second winning lip sync, Ginger is our new official lead. She was so snappy in Snatch, and all her runways have been particularly polished. (Though sometimes I question her taste level a bit.) It is starting to feel like Ginger may capture the crown over our former frontrunner. 2. Trinity’s whole problem her first time around was that she gave up on herself when things got too hard or she was pushed out of her comfort zone. This was certainly not as dramatic as that, but she did carry an air of resignation and the quiet confidence that her previous challenge wins would carry her through. (She wasn’t wrong.) With Snatch in the rearview, though, Trinity may be able to dance and rap and act her way easily into the finals. 3. I was expecting the judges to come harder for Eureka. I also appreciate how she took big swings, but there’s no denying there was a lot of misses. She’s just so striking, so tall, so brightly colored, so well put together, it’s tough not to be a bit impressed/entertained whenever she’s on stage. Even when she’s not doing great, she’s a lot of fun to watch. She knows her Snatch wasn’t great, but she gave it her all. Without a challenge win under her belt, it’s tough to say she’ll be able to overtake Ginger or Trinity in the top spots. 4. Although she’s been jockeying fourth position a bit, Kylie is coming through at a great time. I was very impressed with her Dolly (and, again, I say that as someone with Dolly Parton permanently tattooed on their body, presently sitting in Pigeon Forge, about to make my second pilgrimage to Dollywood this week). Most of all, her performance was a pleasant surprise, and it was disappointing not to see the judges put more weight on that (as opposed to Ginger, whose comedy bonafides were long ago proven). This is, after all, a reality show, not a true comedy competition, so reward us with a little story, you know? I’d love to see Kylie continue to ascend, and it’s not unthinkable that Kylie could sneak up on everyone and actually win this whole thing. 5. OK, Ra’Jah! It was extremely savvy to pick such a Ru favorite for this exercise, and wiser still to incorporate one of Ru’s favorite little La Toya-isms into the act. Did she lean a little too heavily on it? Sure, but at least it was funny. Ra’Jah’s La Toya was easily the best part of the second group. The runway wasn’t my favorite. Sadly, I think we’re almost at Ra’Jah’s time to go. She’s a great queen, will always be an All Star, yada yada yada, but we’re almost at the top four, and those slots have been claimed. 6. There’s no way Pandora could have stayed after the Snatch Game. She whiffed it, and it should be her signature challenge. This was the moment to turn this all around, and it just didn’t happen. I do think there’s a tiny amount of credence to her claim that Eureka’s character was tough to work with, but the fault was in the lack of depth to her character. Even the “funky spunk” reference Pandora made in confessional would have been the kind of specific choice that gives the character life. (Also, I would’ve loved to see a little of season three’s Raja doing Tyra Banks screaming about Naomi Campbell, except Kim Cattrall dropping the sexy, cool exterior to go absolutely ape over her bitter enemy, Sarah Jessica Parker.) There was just no denying this was Pandie’s time to go. How would you rank the queens? Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage. View the full article

HRC President Alphonso DavidHuman Rights Campaign (HRC) president Alphonso David is facing calls to resign from a number of HRC staff members after a blistering report from the New York Attorney General’s office connected David to an effort to cover up and discredit sexual harassment claims against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. According to the 168-page report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James Tuesday, David provided the confidential personnel file of former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan, one of Cuomo’s first accusers to go public with her claims, at the request of Melissa DeRosa, a top-ranked aide to Cuomo. David, whose contract with HRC was extended by five years the same day the AG report was released, previously worked alongside Cuomo as head of his legal team before being named HRC president in 2019. The AG’s report states that DeRosa requested David provide her with Boylan’s “full file” after the former aide went public with her claims against Cuomo on Twitter in December 2020. According to the report, DeRosa’s request to David came on Dec. 9, 2020 after Boylan called Cuomo “one of the biggest abusers of all time” on Twitter. DeRosa shared Boylan’s tweets with David at that time as well. David fulfilled the request on Dec. 11, 2020, sending Boylan’s file, which according to the AG report might have included information protected by attorney-client privilege between David and Boylan, to Cuomo advisor Rich Azzopardi, who subsequently distributed the documents to major press outlets. David told the Washington Post that he did not know the file would be leaked. They reported that he counseled Boylan during a personnel complaint against her and he said “By law, I am required to provide my former client, New York State, with any documents with regard to my representation.” The Post also quote an unnamed person with knowledge of the case who noted at the time in a diary entry that they thought it strange that this file, unrelated to Boylen’s relationship with the governor was passed to reporters, “I didn’t think it was a great rebuttal to what she was saying,” this person wrote, “The counseling session didn’t have anything to do with sexual harassment (there was none alleged at the time).” “Azzopardi then obtained a separate copy of the personnel files from the counsel’s office and started to give them to reporters in an effort to raise questions about her credibility, according to investigators.” Out gay Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated Wednesday that she would no longer accept political donations from or support HRC, one of the largest LGBTQ advocacy groups in the nation, until David is replaced as president of the organization. Other notable LGBTQ politicians, including Senators Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema and Representatives Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres, both of whom represent districts in New York, are yet to weigh in on the matter. According to The Huffington Post, multiple HRC employees called on David to resign in a testy all-staff meeting Wednesday. A recording provided by a source present during the meeting displayed a number of staffers pulling no punches with David during the meeting. “You are creating a toxic environment where partners can’t trust us,” an employee said. David continually denied his involvement in discrediting Cuomo’s accusers as the AG report described it. He denied agreeing to sign the letter meant to disparage Boylan, stating that he instead agreed to “talk about my personal experience at the governor’s office.” David responded to questions about handing over Boylan’s file to DeRosa by saying he was legally obligated to do so. When asked why he had Boylan’s file in the first place since he left Cuomo’s employ in 2019, David dodged the question, saying that the Boylan file he sent Azzopardi was only a copy of the official state document rather than the actual one. “You are creating a toxic environment where partners can’t trust us.” HRC Employee to Alphonso DavidDavid also reiterated that he stood by his actions and denied having any knowledge of Cuomo’s actions with female staffers. “No one ever disclosed allegations of harassment with me, either during or after I worked in state service. Also, I never saw anything,” David said during the meeting. His responses did little to quell HRC staff members. One staffer pledged to “band together and take this to the board to request [David’s] resignation,” adding, “Are you willing to take down the org with you?” David responded to calls for him to step down by again denying any knowledge of the culture of harassment around Cuomo and stating, “I think one of the important lessons here is to highlight how harassment and discriminatory behavior hides in the darkness, and how my experience can actually be used to effect change.” “Alphonso was a great lawyer today, ducking questions and reframing answers,” an HRC employee told The Huffington Post. HRC is yet to comment publicly on the situation or David’s status with the organization. Alphonso David: Previously on Towleroad NY AG Details HRC Leader Alphonso David’s Roles in Cuomo Scandal; Sparks Scrutiny By Staff, Partners, Press And Calls To Resign Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More Biden’s LGBTQ advisor; Murmurations; Trump Litigation;Alex Jones Hates Trump Tape; Resign Cuomo; Myths, Myths; Yes: HOT LINKS Michael Goff March 4, 2021 Read More NY Governor Andrew Cuomo Issues Statement After Second Accusation of Sexual Harassment Andy Towle February 28, 2021 Read More Oops…They Did It Again: SNL’s Britney Spears Hosts an Apology Talk Show with Ted Cruz, Andrew Cuomo, and Gina Carano — WATCH Andy Towle February 21, 2021 Read More NY Governor Signs Bill Repealing ‘Walking While Trans’ Ban Used to Harass and Arrest Transgender Women for 45 Years Andy Towle February 3, 2021 Read More Jared Kushner Coldly Disregarded Andrew Cuomo’s COVID Aid Pleas to Room of Execs: ‘His People are Going to Suffer and That’s Their Problem’ Andy Towle September 18, 2020 Read More Screenshot via YouTube View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Carl O’Donnell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is working to give additional COVID-19 booster shots to Americans with compromised immune systems as quickly as possible, as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise, top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. The United States is joining Germany, France and Israel in giving booster shots, ignoring a plea by the World Health Organisation to hold off until more people around the world can get their first shot. U.S. regulators need to fully authorize the COVID-19 vaccines or amend their emergency use authorizations before officials can recommend additional shots, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to make third doses available sooner under certain circumstances, officials said at a July meeting. “It is extremely important for us to move to get those individuals their boosters and we are now working on that,” Fauci said on a press call, adding that immunocompromised people may not be sufficiently protected by their existing COVID-19 vaccinations. Fauci said rising cases resulting from the spread of the contagious Delta variant in the United States can be turned around with additional vaccinations. (Graphic on U.S. outbreak) https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR The Biden administration has been eager to thaw opposition by some Americans, including those who distrust the government, to taking the vaccine as the highly infectious Delta variant sweeps the country. Seven U.S. states with the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates account for half of the country’s new cases and hospitalizations in the last week, the White House said on Thursday. The states are Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, according to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 coordinator, Jeff Zients, who spoke at the press briefing Of those, Florida and Texas account for about a third of new coronavirus cases and an even higher share of hospitalizations in the country. COVID cases are up about 43% over the previous week and daily deaths are up more than 39%, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who also spoke on the call. The United States hit a six-month high for new COVID cases with over 100,000 infections https://reut.rs/3lA9CmE reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally. Some 864,000 vaccinations have been given in the past 24 hours, the highest since early July, the White House said. Zients said the Biden administration supports U.S. businesses and other institutions requiring that their employees get vaccinated. He added that the White House is considering requiring foreign visitors to be vaccinated as it plans to eventually reopen international travel but said it had made no final decision. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Susan Heavey, Carl O’Donnell and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker) Covid boosters are likely to be approved shortly for those living with HIV and others with compromised immune systems. Unvaccinated account for majority of COVID hospitalizations. But as reported in WSJ story, 44% of breakthrough hospitalizations are among vaccinated people with compromised immune system conditions. See Wall Street Journal video on science of Boosters below post. A study came out in July with findings that people with HIV are 30% more likely to die if they contract COVID, a finding dramatically contradicting a few earlier studies. -Editor Covid Booster Shots previously on Towleroad AIDS Groups Release Open Letter to DaBaby; Denver Cancels Festival He Was to Headline; IHeartRadio, Austin City Limits Also Drop; WednesDababy Update August 4, 2021 Read More Billy Eichner ‘s ‘Big, Gay Divorce Comedy’ ‘Ex-Husbands’ Headed To Amazon; ‘It’s the Gay ‘War Of The Roses’ You’ve Been Waiting For!’ August 4, 2021 Read More Tennessee Trans Bathroom Bill Alleged to Violate Title IX. Human Rights Campaign Sues on behalf of the the affected children. August 4, 2021 Read More Wentworth Miller Autism Diagnosis is Revealed With Shocking Humility; Out ‘Prison Break’ Actor To Study Before Amplifying Cause August 4, 2021 Read More Lindsey Graham COVID Diagnosis Came As the Senator Was Technically Following Mask Advisories, Endorsed Vaccine Weeks Earlier August 3, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Olympics: Raven Sunders Challenges All; First Ever Trans Woman, Non Binary Athletes Compete. LGBTQ Medal Count Hits 20 August 3, 2021 Read More Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby August 2, 2021 Read More Olympic Rankings If All The LGBTQ Athletes Were A Team They Would Be 7th in Gold Medals, 8th Overall. Plus 6 Pages of Photos in Tokyo And At Home August 2, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

DaBabyAn open letter from eleven AIDS groups and HIV/AIDS advocacy and research organizations Wednesday called out rapper DaBaby for his “inaccurate and harmful comments” about people living with HIV/AIDS at Rolling Loud. “We heard your inaccurate and harmful comments at Rolling Loud and have read your Instagram apology. However, at a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of color, a dialogue is critical,” the letter reads. “We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities.” Published by GLAAD, the letter comes amid attempts by DaBaby and his representatives to respond to the continued fallout from his homophobic and HIV/AIDS-phobic comments late month. Three more festivals, Music Midtown, Austin City Limits and iHeartRadio Music Festival, dropped him from their lineups in response to the controversy, bringing the total number of events removing DaBaby since his Rolling Loud performance to seven. Denver radio station KS 107.5 canceled its Summer Jam concert entirely on Wednesday citing DaBaby’s comments. He was scheduled to headline the show. The version of Dua Lipa’s hit “Levitating” on which DaBaby featured was pulled off the air by radio platform Audacy, the second-largest radio station chain in the nation. DaBaby issued an apology to the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV/AIDS on Monday, but the statement was met with further criticism over the amount of time he spent ridiculing those that responded to him negatively without supposedly giving him room to educate himself. “Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate and learn from your mistakes,” DaBaby wrote. Though fellow musicians Elton John and Demi Lovato offered educational resources publicly to DaBaby days before his apology, Wednesday’s letter took up DaBaby on his request with a specific focus on Black Americans living with HIV/AIDS and musicians past role in HIV/AIDS Groups and LGBTQ advocacy. “The greatest obstacles in our work to end HIV are the compounded stigmas attached to anti-Blackness, living with HIV, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ attitudes and stereotypes, all of which are fueled by misinformation,” the letter reads. “It’s fear and stigma that keep people, particularly Black Americans, from accessing HIV prevention or care that White Americans have historically and continue to access more easily. We believe that you now have an opportunity to not just move past this unfortunate incident, but to use your platform and celebrity to heal not harm.” “We believe that anyone can be an HIV advocate by amplifying: how there is medication (PrEP) that can prevent people from getting HIV with one pill a day, how routine treatment stops the virus from being passed on by people living with the HIV, how people receiving HIV care can survive and thrive while living with it, and how open and empathetic conversations eliminate stigma,” it continued. “You can be a powerful and influential voice, especially across your home base in the South, where the Black community’s needs are notoriously under-represented across every public spectrum.” The letter closes with the organizations asking DaBaby to engage with them in “a private, off-the-record virtual discussion” to discuss ways he can aid HIV/AIDS advocacy. “You stated you now understand how and why your comments were damaging. An open conversation holds the potential for you to now create meaningful impact by transforming from an adversary to an advocate.” HIV/AIDS Groups: Previously on Towleroad AIDS Groups Release Open Letter to DaBaby; Denver Cancels Festival He Was to Headline; IHeartRadio, Austin City Limits Also Drop; WednesDababy Update Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby Brian Bell August 2, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup Brian Bell July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. Brian Bell July 29, 2021 Read More Rapper Dababy Delivers Homophobic, Anti-AIDS Interlude at Rolling Loud, Doubles Down on Comments; T.I. Comes to His Defense Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More The Lil Nas X Gay Coronation Covers NY Times Magazine; Crowned With ‘Elaborately braided Black Boy Joy’; Welcome Generation Z Brian Bell July 9, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of A-Side Entertainment/Creative Commons View the full article

Billy EichnerEveryone’s favorite chaotic gay comedian Billy Eichner is showing once again that he isn’t afraid to step into a messy world to find the humor and heart within. The “Difficult People” star announced he and “Arrowverse” creator Greg Berlanti are delving into the hilarity of gay divorce in the upcoming Amazon feature film “Ex-Husbands.” “The concept of a big, gay divorce comedy has been kicking around in my head for years and I cannot think of better collaborators than groundbreaking producers Greg and Sarah [Schechter],” Eichner told Deadline. “we now have the perfect partners in Amazon, who have already shown enormous passion for this project. This is a dream team. Now, LET’S GET DIVORCED!!!” “Ex-Husbands” tells the story of gay married couple Daniel and Conner who, after becoming the first gay couple to be legally married in New York City in over-the-top fashion, now find themselves ready to call it quits in similar superfluous fashion. Eichner is set to star, produce and co-write the film. “It’s the gay ‘WAR OF THE ROSES’ you’ve been waiting for,” said Eichner on Twitter. Thrilled to bring my new movie EX-HUSBANDS to Amazon. Starring Matt Damon and Da Baby. Originally tweeted by billy eichner (@billyeichner) on August 3, 2021. “Ex-Husbands” represents another step in Eichner’s historic journey through Hollywood, working to expand what LGBTQ filmmaking and on-screen representation can encompass. The announcement of his forthcoming gay rom-com BROS earlier this year made him the first out gay man to write, produce and star in major Hollywood studio-produced comedy. He is also set to portray gay Hollywood icon Paul Lynde in the forthcoming biopic “Man In The Box.” Eichner will pen the script alongside longtime Broadway playwright and Hollywood screenwriter Paul Rudnick, “a true icon whose work I have craved and admired since I was a young gay boy lusting after show business” said Eichner. “[Rudnick] really paved the way for me and many others.” Rudnick appears equally excited to work with Eichner. “As a longtime fan of Billy Eichner, I was thrilled when he called me about this project. And when Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schecter became involved, I knew we were in the best possible hands,” Rudnick told Deadline. “‘Ex-Husbands’ has the potential to be wildly funny, emotional and altogether delightful.” Billy Eichner: Previously on Towleroad Billy Eichner ‘s ‘Big, Gay Divorce Comedy’ ‘Ex-Husbands’ Headed To Amazon; ‘It’s the Gay ‘War Of The Roses’ You’ve Been Waiting For!’ Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More Hollywood Skin Doc–and Home Flipper–Alex Khadavi Threatens to Kill Gay Couple In Homophobic Screed Caught on A Lobby Cam; Acquired by TMZ: WATCH Brian Bell July 22, 2021 Read More A ‘Pose’ Is Not Enough. Hollywood Writers Guild’s LGBTQ Group Calls Out Discrimination On and Off Screen In Open Letter Brian Bell June 14, 2021 Read More Kevin Spacey News: Judge Ruled Accuser Had To Go Public For Sexual Assault Case To Proceed. He Refused; Case Likely to be Dismissed. Towleroad May 15, 2021 Read More Reese Reveals Secret Hollywood Power Play Led By Shonda Rhimes; Tells Where Elle Woods Would Be Today; And Contrasts her image to Britney’s Towleroad April 29, 2021 Read More Finally? A Gay Holiday RomCom? R-rated Mrs. Doubtfire? Gun Control? Respect for Aretha? DC Statehood? Japan Marriage Equality? Spring? with Puppies: HOTLINKS Michael Goff March 23, 2021 Read More Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Yahoo News/Creative Commons View the full article

Tennessee Trans Laws bring legal actionThe recently passed Tennessee transphobic bathroom bill came under legal challenge Tuesday after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation filed suit on behalf of two transgender minors living in the state. The law in question, signed by Governor Bill Lee in May, targets students, faculty and staff in public schools that are “unwilling or unable” to use public restrooms aligned with their gender at birth. Tuesday’s filing alleges that the law violates its plaintiffs’ Title IX protections, which prohibits federally funded education programs from discriminating against individuals on the basis of sex. The law requires schools to provide “reasonable accommodation” to anyone that fits that category, though what the law defines as a “reasonable accommodation” (“single-occupancy” or “employee” restrooms) can contribute to the stigmatization and othering of trans identities within Tennessee schools. their fear of the unknown is unnecessarily leading their actions and causing irreparable harm to these children. “Their fear of the unknown is unnecessarily leading their actions and causing irreparable harm to these children” Julie and Ross, Ariel’s Parents“When I started 7th grade, I just wanted to blend in. Having to use a ‘special’ bathroom made me stand out because other kids would wonder why I didn’t just use the boys’ bathroom,” said 14-year-old Alex, one of the case’s plaintiffs. His experience led him to stop drinking liquids at school altogether so he wouldn’t have to use the school nurse’s private bathroom at school and not have to answer his peers’ questions. Though Alex attended a school that didn’t enforce such policies during 8th grade, he is preparing to enter a public high school whose bathroom protocols align with Tennessee’s new law. “It stresses me out that I’ll have to deal with this all over again at my new school,” he said. “We didn’t know we had a trans child when we relocated to Tennessee—if Alex had come out to us before the move, we wouldn’t have come here,” said Amy and Jeff, Alex’s parents. “It makes me so angry that our elected officials have chosen to target trans kids … Alex just wants to be a regular kid. He should be able to look forward to starting high school without the added layer of anxiety about something as basic as using the bathroom.” HRC takes on Tennessee Trans Law denying transgender kids access to restrooms consistent with their gender identities.The other plaintiff, 6-year-old Ariel faces similar issues when she leaves her private kindergarten and enters first grade at a public school later this year. Ariel began transitioning socially two years ago and her parents, Julie and Ross, aren’t mincing words when it comes to the situation she’ll enter without understanding why. “The state’s political leaders are making Tennessee a dangerous place for our daughter, and other children like her,” they said. “We are extremely worried about her future here, and the bills that are being passed have put us in panic mode.” Tennessee’s bathroom bill is one of five anti-trans bills passed during its latest legislative session. Similar bills in North Carolina and Texas introduced in the last decade were met with staunch opposition and were ultimately defeated. That obviously hasn’t kept bathrooms from being an arena for conservatives and transphobes (with some overlap) to stoke political support while attacking a vulnerable pocket of the nation’s population. HRC president Alphonso David labeled Tennessee’s law as such, saying it was “morally wrong” and “devoid of any sound legal justification.” David continued, “Courts have time-and-again ruled against these dangerous and discriminatory laws and we are going to fight in court to strike down this one and protect the civil rights.” “They are attacking children that cannot defend themselves for what appears to be political gain over a non-existent problem,” Julie and Ross, Ariel’s Parents“They are attacking children that cannot defend themselves for what appears to be political gain over a non-existent problem,” Julie and Ross said. “We wish our leaders would take the time to speak with transgender youth and adults – instead, their fear of the unknown is unnecessarily leading their actions and causing irreparable harm to these children.” The basis of the suit’s alleged Title IX violations received support from multiple governmental bodies earlier this year. The Department of Justice issued a memorandum in March stating that Title IX protections include discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, following precedent set by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County last year. The Department of Education seconded the DOJ’s statement in June. The Justice Department also filed a “statement of interest” urging judges in West Virginia and Arkansas to strike down anti-trans laws introduced in state legislatures in June. As the case plays out, both families have stated that they are likely to move out of Tennessee if the law remains in place, leaving behind homes, lives and relationships. Tennessee Trans: Previously on Towleroad Tennessee Trans Bathroom Bill Alleged to Violate Title IX. Human Rights Campaign Sues on behalf of the the affected children. Brian Bell August 4, 2021 Read More West Virginia, Arkansas Laws That Restrict Trans Rights are Unconstitutional; and Courts Should Strike Down, says Justice Dept. Michael Goff June 19, 2021 Read More Man Alleges New Orleans Police Pulled Job Offer Because He is Trans; Federal Complaint Filed Brian Bell May 20, 2021 Read More Trans Community Responds to Caitlyn Jenner Trans Sports Comments; ‘Caitlyn Jenner is Anti-Trans’ Brian Bell May 5, 2021 Read More President Biden Trans-Exclusionary Legislation Response Reportedly in the Works Brian Bell May 4, 2021 Read More Biden Speech Speaks Directly to Trans Youth, ‘Your President Has Your Back’ as 30-states debate anti-trans bills; Wants to Sign Equality Act Brian Bell April 29, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Kai Medina/Creative Commons View the full article

*NNTO (Note Not the Onion) Wentworth Miller Autism Published by BANG Showbiz English Wentworth Miller has been diagnosed with autism. The 49-year-old actor has revealed he was diagnosed with the developmental disorder as an adult last year, after he previously had “self-diagnosed” himself with the condition before seeking medical advice. He wrote on Instagram: “This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis. “It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old. “And (it’s a ‘both/and’) I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy. (sic)” The ‘Prison Break’ actor said he was “shocked” but not “surprised” by the diagnosis, but insisted it isn’t something he would ever “change” about himself. He added: “Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise. “Oh – this isn’t something I’d change. No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated. “Oh – I also want to say to the many (many) people who consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years, allowed me to move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them… thank you. “And to those who made a different choice… well. People will reveal themselves. (sic)” Wentworth won’t begin using his platform to speak about autism straight away because he wants to make sure he does enough research into the disorder first. He wrote: “There is a now-familiar cultural narrative (in which I’ve participated) that goes, ‘Public figure shares A, B and C publicly, dedicates platform to D, E and F.’ Good for them. “And (it’s a ‘both/and’) that’s not necessarily what’s going to happen here. I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know.) Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens. “That will take time. “Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).’ (sic)” Lindsey Graham COVID Diagnosis Came As the Senator Was Technically Following Mask Advisories, Endorsed Vaccine Weeks Earlier August 3, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Olympics: Raven Sunders Challenges All; First Ever Trans Woman, Non Binary Athletes Compete. LGBTQ Medal Count Hits 20 August 3, 2021 Read More Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby August 2, 2021 Read More Olympic Rankings If All The LGBTQ Athletes Were A Team They Would Be 7th in Gold Medals, 8th Overall. Plus 6 Pages of Photos in Tokyo And At Home August 2, 2021 Read More Matt Damon Will Keep Getting Beat Down Badly For Telling The World He Quit Using The ‘F-slur for a Homosexual’ A Few Months Ago August 2, 2021 Read More Trump Tax Return Will Go to Congress; Also Key Memo on Trump Efforts to Get Justice Department to Lie on Election: Donald’s Bad Week July 31, 2021 Read More Aretha Franklin Movie: “You’re Going to Win an Oscar for Playing Me, Right?”; First Thing The Legendary Singer Told Jennifer Hudson July 31, 2021 Read More New Dune Movie; Will Smith is Venus and Serena’s father;Respect Aretha Franklin; Ted Bundy; ‘Jackass’, Gaga’s ‘Gucci’; ‘Even Hansen’; and Not his Fathers’ Ghostbusters:New TRAILERS July 31, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

The announcement that the fully vaccinated Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham’s COVID made room for description of the mild symptoms and clear endorsement of the vaccine. Lindsey Graham COVID previously on Towleroad LGBTQ Olympics: Raven Sunders Challenges All; First Ever Trans Woman, Non Binary Athletes Compete. LGBTQ Medal Count Hits 20 August 3, 2021 Read More Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby August 2, 2021 Read More Olympic Rankings If All The LGBTQ Athletes Were A Team They Would Be 7th in Gold Medals, 8th Overall. Plus 6 Pages of Photos in Tokyo And At Home August 2, 2021 Read More Matt Damon Will Keep Getting Beat Down Badly For Telling The World He Quit Using The ‘F-slur for a Homosexual’ A Few Months Ago August 2, 2021 Read More Trump Tax Return Will Go to Congress; Also Key Memo on Trump Efforts to Get Justice Department to Lie on Election: Donald’s Bad Week July 31, 2021 Read More Aretha Franklin Movie: “You’re Going to Win an Oscar for Playing Me, Right?”; First Thing The Legendary Singer Told Jennifer Hudson July 31, 2021 Read More New Dune Movie; Will Smith is Venus and Serena’s father;Respect Aretha Franklin; Ted Bundy; ‘Jackass’, Gaga’s ‘Gucci’; ‘Even Hansen’; and Not his Fathers’ Ghostbusters:New TRAILERS July 31, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes July 31, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

LGBTQ Athletes Win Many Ways. Quinn, Laurel Hubbard Make Trans, Nonbinary History; Raven Saunders Challenges All; Medal Count at 20 QuinnThe second week of the 2020 Summer Olympics is underway, and it has been inundated with LGBTQ greatness. The historic number of out LGBTQ Olympics athletes competing this year, which now stands at 180, have won medals and created historic moments on a daily basis. And that number is guaranteed to grow. Tops among those moments was Monday’s historic presence of out trans and nonbinary athletes. Canadian soccer player Quinn guaranteed themself an Olympic medal with a stunning upset of the U.S. Women’s national team, becoming the first out trans nonbinary Olympic athlete to win an Olympic medal. They, alongside the rest of Team Canada, will go for the gold against a talented Swedish squad on Friday. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made her Olympic debut on Monday as well. While she wasn’t able to complete her lifts, officially ruled as a DNF (did not finish), her mere presence on the Olympic stage was a statement unto itself. Hubbard, the first out trans woman to compete at the Olympics, flashed a heart-shaped hand sign and provided an inspirational goal for future trans athletes. Team USA’s Raven Saunders, complete with Joker and The Hulk masks and hair color, nabbed a silver medal in women’s shotput Saturday in style. After twerking following her final toss and deeming herself a “flaming gay,” Saunders threw up the X on the medal podium, a symbol of protest that she said represented “the intersection of where all people who oppressed meet.” Team USA’s Hannah Roberts secured another silver medal for Team LGBTQ on Saturday with a stellar performance in women’s BMX Freestyle. Her first run score of 96.10 was the first of the competition to break the 90-point mark and set her on course for the gold that was only derailed by Great Britian’s Charlotte Worthington hitting a 360 backflip and front flip. And finally, French fencer Astrid Guyart took home a silver medal in women’s team foil Monday, just over a month after coming out publicly during Pride month. According to Outsports, Team LGBTQ now ranks ninth overall with 20 total medals, including six gold medals. LGBTQ Olympics: Previously on Towleroad LGBTQ Olympics: Raven Sunders Challenges All; First Ever Trans Woman, Non Binary Athletes Compete. LGBTQ Medal Count Hits 20 Brian Bell August 3, 2021 Read More Olympic Rankings If All The LGBTQ Athletes Were A Team They Would Be 7th in Gold Medals, 8th Overall. Plus 6 Pages of Photos in Tokyo And At Home Michael Goff August 2, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes Brian Bell July 31, 2021 Read More More LGBTQ Athletes Than Ever At Olympics (166+); Tom Daley Gold Medals; France Gets Judo Silver; Japan Takes Softball Gold, Team USA Gets Silver Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More Olympics vs. COVID Finals Down To Wire: Postponed a Year; Fans Banned Last Week, Tokyo State Of Emergency Today; Athletes Cancel Towleroad July 12, 2021 Read More Tom Daley Will Consider Having Another Kid ‘after the Olympics’; Son Robbie, 2 years, is Clear On a Brother AND a Sister Towleroad May 29, 2021 Read More Screenshot via Twitter View the full article

DaBaby One day after being pulled from a headlining spot at music festival Lollapalooza due to his homophobic and HIV/AIDs-phobic comments, rapper DaBaby issued yet another apology after two more music festivals dropped him from their lineups. The apology, released via Instagram Monday, is the first time DaBaby directly apologized to the LGBTQ community since denigrating gay men and quantifying LGBTQ identities with deviancy during his performance at Rolling Loud last month. “I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the harmful and triggering comments I made,” said DaBaby. “Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God Bless.” The statement marked the first time DaBaby directly apologized to the LGBTQ community after a week full of near-daily defenses and doubling down of his initial comments, including saying “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you” in the music video for his single “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give.” He previously apologized for his comments against those living with HIV/AIDS, but withheld the same courtesy from LGBTQ people. But DaBaby’s latest attempt to quell the fallout from his Rolling Loud comments and the week-long defense of the homophobia, misogyny and HIV/AIDS misinformation it perpetuated wasn’t without criticism. While he finally apologized without comparing his right to hate speech to LGBTQ people’s right to live openly without persecution, DaBaby reserved more words for those that took him to task than his actual apology. As Vulture music critic Craig Jenkins put it, “the part about how everyone should’ve been nicer to him is longer than the part about what he did wrong.” The artist’s comments came after news broke Monday that popular festivals The Governors Ball in New York City and Day n Vegas 2021 announced that DaBaby had been removed from their lineups. Founders Entertainment, organizers of The Governors Ball, stated that it “does not and will not tolerate hate or discrimination of any kind” in its announcement of DaBaby’s removal. “We welcome and celebrate diverse communities that make New York City the greatest city in the world. Thank you to the fans who continue to speak up for what is right,” it added. Day n Vegas 2021 organizers didn’t directly link their decision to remove DaBaby to his controversial remarks, simply stating that he “will no longer be appearing” in an Instagram post. The additional canceled performances now bring the total number of festivals to remove DaBaby post-Rolling Loud to four. Manchester, England festival Parklife 2021 dropped him from its lineup last week and Lollapalooza canceled his performance Sunday night, citing his derogatory comments. “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect and love,” Lollapalooza organizers said Sunday. “With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight.” Dababy Lollpalooza: Previously on Towleroad Grounded by Festivals, DaBaby Apologizes; Blames Victims For Not Just Taking His Abuse While He Explained How Much Harder It is Being DaBaby Brian Bell August 2, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup Brian Bell July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. Brian Bell July 29, 2021 Read More Rapper Dababy Delivers Homophobic, Anti-AIDS Interlude at Rolling Loud, Doubles Down on Comments; T.I. Comes to His Defense Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More The Lil Nas X Gay Coronation Covers NY Times Magazine; Crowned With ‘Elaborately braided Black Boy Joy’; Welcome Generation Z Brian Bell July 9, 2021 Read More Check Out ‘Single Record’ The New Sexy Gay Hip Hop Original Series: WATCH Savas Abadsidis January 23, 2019 Read More Photo courtesy of Azhem123/Creative Commons View the full article

Olympic Rankings if LGBTQ Athletes Were a Country Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do… The folks at Outsports are tracking the LGBTQ Olympians with comprehensive coverage and they inspired this little bit of Sunday afternoon Kornacki-ing. How Many LGBTQ Athletes Participating in Tokyo? As more athletes have come out, the total number has risen to 179. How many Medals Have LGBTQ Athletes Won? Those following along will notice a big increase in the queer medal count since Friday. Out LGBT Athletes have won 19 medals as of Sunday. Gold: 6; Silver: 7; Bronze: 6 Click to the next page for more LGBTQ Olympians in Tokyo and in their home environments — Page 2 has news updates, some sexy couples, The special rainbow head gear built by the Aussie Ruggers and more More of the LGBTQ Athletes in Tokyo Page 2 –> View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Matt Damon stopped using “the f-slur” after his daughter told him how “dangerous” it is. The 50-year-old actor has claimed he was unaware of how offensive and damaging the term is toward gay men, and thought it had a “different application” until one of his daughters wrote him a “very long, beautiful treatise” about the history behind the slur. He told The Sunday Times newspaper: “The word that my daughter calls the ‘f-slur for a homosexual’ was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application. “I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’ She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.” Matt has daughters Isabella, 15, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10, with his wife Luciana Barroso, and is also stepfather to Luciana’s 22-year-old daughter Alexia. And while the ‘Martian’ star didn’t name which daughter got him to give up the offensive term, he recently revealed his teenage daughter has refused to watch any of his movies in case they’re “good”. Asked if fans still associate him with his breakout movie ‘Good Will Hunting’, he said: “Sure, yeah – fewer and fewer. “You know, younger people don’t know it as much. You know, my 15 year old refuses to see it. She doesn’t want to see any movies that I’m in that she thinks might be good.” But Matt insisted his daughters are proud of his career and very supportive. He said: “I like that they know that they love my job. They know it’s time-consuming and that it’s a lot of work and that it fills me up.” And the ‘Stillwater’ star admitted being a parent has made acting easier because he’s been so much more emotional since having children and he “gets choked up easier”. He said: “Ever since I had kids, my job has become a lot easier, because I don’t have to try. I don’t have to reach for any emotions, whether it’s joy or whether it’s pain, because it’s all just nearby because the stakes are so much higher when you have kids.” And where was Matt Damon during the whole Kevin Hart gets fired from the Oscars’ discussion a few years back? Sarah Silverman nails the response on the street with TMZ a few years back…. “Are you done saying anything that could be perceived as homophobic?” TMZ asked. “Yeah, I’m done with that,” Silverman replied. “I think I can find other ways to be funny. I used to say gay all the time. Oh, that’s so gay. We’re from Boston. That’s what we say in Boston. I have gay friends. I just say gay.” “Then I heard myself and I realized I was like the guy who says, What? I say colored. I have colored friends. And I realized it was stupid. And I’m certainly creative enough to think of other words besides that, that don’t hurt people. But I fuck up all the time,” she adde And Since Matt Damon was “F —ing” Sarah Silverman, certainly she could have given him the info. (Different F-word) and then how do you think his best buddy Ben Affleck is thinking since he came out. In the hilarious and borderline offending videos to and from Jimmy Kimmel [This post contains video, click to play] And Hillary Duff… Matt Damon Previously on Towleroad Trump Tax Return Will Go to Congress; Also Key Memo on Trump Efforts to Get Justice Department to Lie on Election: Donald’s Bad Week July 31, 2021 Read More Aretha Franklin Movie: “You’re Going to Win an Oscar for Playing Me, Right?”; First Thing The Legendary Singer Told Jennifer Hudson July 31, 2021 Read More New Dune Movie; Will Smith is Venus and Serena’s father;Respect Aretha Franklin; Ted Bundy; ‘Jackass’, Gaga’s ‘Gucci’; ‘Even Hansen’; and Not his Fathers’ Ghostbusters:New TRAILERS July 31, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes July 31, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup July 30, 2021 Read More The Upcoming ‘Jungle Cruise’ Includes A ‘Coming Out’ — Another LGBTQ Flirt That Young Viewers Won’t Notice. Disney’s ‘Interests Lay Elsewhere’ July 30, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Queens Give Girl Power: RECAP July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. July 29, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Trump Losing: Trump tax return is just one of many. There’s the memo about his attempts to get the Justice Department to lie about the election. Earlier in the week Justice said it would not defend a Republican congressman accused of helping incite the riot, with the clear message to Trump that applied to him as well. But wait, his candidate in Texas lost, The country listened to the 4 capitol police offices describe the absolute hell. And it was infrastructure week. Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump suffered twin setbacks on Friday when the Justice Department cleared the way to release his tax records and disclosed a memo showing he had urged top officials last year to falsely claim his election defeat was “corrupt.” The department, reversing course from the stance it took when Trump was in office, told the Internal Revenue Service to provide the Republican businessman-turned-politician’s tax records to congressional investigators – a move he has long fought. Trump was the first president in 40 years to not release his tax returns, as well as other documents, as he aimed to keep secret the details on his wealth and activities of his family company, the Trump Organization. The Democratic-led House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee has said it wants the tax data in part to examine whether Trump had taken inappropriate advantage of U.S. tax laws. Handwritten notes taken by Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue in December and released on Friday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee painted a damning picture of Trump as he desperately sought to get the Justice Department to take the unprecedented step of intervening to try to upend his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. The fact that the Justice Department let congressional investigators obtain the notes marked a dramatic shift from the Trump administration’s repeated assertion of executive privilege to skirt congressional scrutiny. “Just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” Trump told Jeffrey Rosen, referring to Republicans, in a Dec. 27 phone call days before Rosen was appointed acting attorney general. The notes showed Rosen told Trump the department could not and would not “change the outcome of the election.” Trump’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment. The Justice Department ordered the IRS to provide Trump’s tax returns to the House panel, saying the panel has invoked “sufficient reasons” for requesting it. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded it had erred in 2019 when it found the committee’s request for Trump’s taxes to be based on a “disingenuous” objective aimed at exposing them to the public. The committee engaged in a two-year legal battle with the Treasury Department after then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin defied a subpoena for Trump’s taxes. In a court filing late on Friday, the Treasury Department said it was prepared to hand over Trump’s tax returns to the committee and would not object to giving him 72 hours’ notice before the documents are handed over. After another legal fight, the Manhattan district attorney’s office in February separately obtained https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-trump-taxes/new-york-prosecutors-digging-into-trumps-tax-financial-records-idUSKBN2AP2MS Trump tax and financial records in a criminal investigation centering on his company, though the material was not publicly disclosed. During Trump’s presidency, the Justice Department was accused by Democrats of bending to his personal and political goals. Its recent actions illustrate a different approach under Biden. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, welcomed the department’s action, saying access to the documents represents “a matter of national security.” ‘CRITICALLY IMPORTANT’ The department “is no longer going to simply kowtow to Donald Trump,” said University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who was ethics counsel to former President George W. Bush. “Every other president has disclosed their tax returns, and finding out what the conflicts of interest are on the president or a former president who may have made decisions that now have to be revisited – that’s critically important,” Painter added. It has been a tough week for Trump. Four police officers on Tuesday testified https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-who-defended-us-capitol-testify-riot-probes-first-hearing-2021-07-27 to a House panel about the violence of his supporters during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. That same night, the Justice Department revealed https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-dept-wont-defend-republican-lawmaker-capitol-riot-lawsuit-2021-07-28 it would not defend a Republican congressman named along with Trump in a civil lawsuit accusing them of helping incite the riot, while a U.S. congressional candidate he endorsed in Texas lost https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-backed-candidate-ballot-us-house-runoff-texas-2021-07-27 her run-off election. Trump also fumed as a bipartisan agreement on Biden’s massive infrastructure bill advanced in the Senate https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-vote-open-debate-1-trillion-infrastructure-bill-2021-07-30, a feat Trump failed to achieve. The Justice Department this week cited “compelling legislative interests” as it authorized six former Trump administration officials to be interviewed by the House oversight panel. Among them were Rosen, Donoghue, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark. Clark is at the heart of a Justice Department inspector general’s office inquiry https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-justice/watchdog-to-probe-if-justice-dept-officials-improperly-tried-to-alter-2020-election-idUSKBN29U21E after news surfaced that he had plotted with Trump to try to oust Rosen so he could launch an investigation into alleged voter fraud in Georgia. Clark did not respond to a request for comment. In the Dec. 27 call with Rosen, Trump threatened to put Clark in charge, the notes showed. Throughout the call, Trump pushed his false election claims. “You guys may not be following the internet the way I do,” Trump said. Rosen and Donoghue tried multiple times to tell Trump his information was incorrect. “We are doing our job,” the notes stated. “Much of the info you’re getting is false.” (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Additional reporting by Paul Grant; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham and Leslie Adler) Trump tax return previously on Towleroad New Dune Movie; Will Smith is Venus and Serena’s father;Respect Aretha Franklin; Ted Bundy; ‘Jackass’, Gaga’s ‘Gucci’; ‘Even Hansen’; and Not his Fathers’ Ghostbusters:New TRAILERS July 31, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes July 31, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup July 30, 2021 Read More The Upcoming ‘Jungle Cruise’ Includes A ‘Coming Out’ — Another LGBTQ Flirt That Young Viewers Won’t Notice. Disney’s ‘Interests Lay Elsewhere’ July 30, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Queens Give Girl Power: RECAP July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. July 29, 2021 Read More Delta Variant Wasn’t Expected to Be So Bad. Biologists Now Worry. Its Mutations Make it the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet July 29, 2021 Read More ‘Frat Boy’ Culture at Activision Blizzard: Groping, Junk-Grab ‘Gay Chicken’ Game, ‘The Cosby Suite,’ Cited in California Suit. Employees Walk Out July 28, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Aretha Franklin told Jennifer Hudson she would win an Oscar for playing her. The 39-year-old actress-and-singer is set to portray the late Queen of Soul – who passed away in 2018 – in the upcoming biopic ‘Respect’, and she has recalled being left speechless when the music legend surprised her with the compliment. Appearing on ‘CBS Sunday Morning’, Jennifer – who previously won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her part as Effie in 2006 musical ‘Dreamgirls’ – shared: “The very first thing Aretha said to me when we sat down was, ‘You’re going to win an Oscar for playing me, right?’” She added: “I didn’t know what to say.” The Grammy-winner recently admitted she has been feeling the “pressure” to live up to the expectation placed on her shoulders for the flick. She said: “That’s a lot, a lot, a lot of pressure!. “Everyone is counting down and I’m like, ‘Please don’t tell me! I don’t want to know, that’s enough pressure.’ “Enough with her being like, ‘Jennifer do this.’ But that’s that women power, that’s that empowerment, like if she passed the torch and she said, ‘Jennifer you can do it,’ that gives me the strength and the encouragement to try.” Jennifer released ‘Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)’, an original song from the film’s soundtrack, and she hoped she was able to do Aretha’s roots justice with the track. She said: “You should feel the church in it, the spirit, the soul. “I wanted to make sure that was the base and the premise of everything because Aretha was the gospel… I’m so happy to hear that [it sounds like Aretha] because that was my sentiments exactly.” Be sure to check out the concert film from last year, Amazing Grace. [This post contains video, click to play] Aretha Franklin Movie previously on Towleroad Trump Tax Return Will Go to Congress; Also Key Memo on Trump Efforts to Get Justice Department to Lie on Election: Donald’s Bad Week July 31, 2021 Read More New Dune Movie; Will Smith is Venus and Serena’s father;Respect Aretha Franklin; Ted Bundy; ‘Jackass’, Gaga’s ‘Gucci’; ‘Even Hansen’; and Not his Fathers’ Ghostbusters:New TRAILERS July 31, 2021 Read More Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes July 31, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup July 30, 2021 Read More The Upcoming ‘Jungle Cruise’ Includes A ‘Coming Out’ — Another LGBTQ Flirt That Young Viewers Won’t Notice. Disney’s ‘Interests Lay Elsewhere’ July 30, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Queens Give Girl Power: RECAP July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. July 29, 2021 Read More Delta Variant Wasn’t Expected to Be So Bad. Biologists Now Worry. Its Mutations Make it the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet July 29, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] New Dune movie is just one of the batch of trailers for upcoming stories that shed a light on today. remakes, extensions, nostalgia, reconsideration, and new angles. (October) Every generation also has its own tennis heroes. And not totally clear why this film centers on Will Smith at the father of Venus and Serena. King Richard in the trailer doesn’t give Joe Jackson or Britney’s dad vibes. Maybe more like Beyonce’s. And with both daughters in the credits, it doesn’t seem like a ‘Daddy Dearest’ either. Eagerly awaiting more info. (September) Jennifer Hudson is Aretha Franklin in Respect The crew, led by Johnny Knoxville,is back together for Jackass Forever other than the one who was ordered by the court to say away a few months ago. The final episode seems a good time to consider what is Jackass? With this last episode, looking back, Jackass is really sadistic, except when it’s all about reaching insane depths of masochism. Jackass is the absolute opposite of “self love”…until you realize that it was always about the hot friends you meet along the way, homosexual undertones and really problematic long term pain killer use. (October) Is Jackass culture the absolute opposite of “self love”? Or is it just another hot friends you meet along the way, have some same-sex sexual tension with, and share a problematic work-related long-term pain killer addiction? Elijah Wood, is neither a hobbit nor serial murderer Ted Bundy in No Man of God, but he might be a version of Clarisse in ‘Silence of the Lambs’. I won’t compare Bundy as metaphorical punishment delivered to women of loosening morals to AIDS and queers. It might not be in the movie. (August 27) I don’t think i can do any better for Dear Even Hansen trailer than: A crying shame. (September) I’m throwing a cautionary yellow card at Gaga’s accent in House of Gucci. It may not melt into the sumptuous decor. (November) Jason Reitman takes over for Ghostbusters Afterlife, taking a handoff from his deceased father. It’s a different era and the director of Juno and Up in The Air is a very different director. (Nov) CODA is the first film to ever win Audience, Directing, Special Jury and Grand Jury Awards at Sundance and was sold for a record breaking $25 milllion. It’s the story of the only hearing member in a deaf family who get caught in one of those choices between helping to protect the family business and, of course, a brilliant singing career. (Aug 12) New Dune Movie previously on Towleroad Queer Nation With 11 Medals Ranks 11th in Olympics, Ahead of Canada. More Athletes Come Out, Lifting Record Number of Out Athletes July 31, 2021 Read More DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup July 30, 2021 Read More The Upcoming ‘Jungle Cruise’ Includes A ‘Coming Out’ — Another LGBTQ Flirt That Young Viewers Won’t Notice. Disney’s ‘Interests Lay Elsewhere’ July 30, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Queens Give Girl Power: RECAP July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. July 29, 2021 Read More Delta Variant Wasn’t Expected to Be So Bad. Biologists Now Worry. Its Mutations Make it the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet July 29, 2021 Read More ‘Frat Boy’ Culture at Activision Blizzard: Groping, Junk-Grab ‘Gay Chicken’ Game, ‘The Cosby Suite,’ Cited in California Suit. Employees Walk Out July 28, 2021 Read More Ed Buck, Apex Meth Predator, Convicted in Serial Deaths by Overdose of Young, Black Gay Men; Will Get Minimum 40 Years in Prison July 28, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

U.S. swimmers Erica Sullivan (left) and Katie Ledecky (right)Come out and compete. Come out and play is one of the messages coming out of this years Olympics. With the first full week of the 2020 Summer Olympics in the books, a record number of out LGBTQ athletes taking to fields, courts and tracks in Tokyo. And the number keeps growing. We are there in Tokyo. We’re out. And we’re medaling. 3 gold. 4 silver. 4 bronze. The Queer nation Ranks 11th in medal count … just ahead of Canada. Rankings by OutsportsWith many of us following other grim numbers around the world in another surge of the pandemic, we are also watching the number of out athletes in the Olympics go up as more come out during the games. 178 with room for more to join this week. With all those out athletes, we are also not counting the queer medals with a chance of that number increasing as well. Come out and win Our friends at Outsports are tracking “Team LGBTQ” and clearly we are in Tokyo, we’re queer, and we’re medaling. Out athletes have already won 3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze, placing the queer nation places 11th in the medal count just ahead of Canada. First-Ever Gold In an Olympic first, the U.S. Women’s 3×3 Basketball team brought home the first-ever gold medal. The more pickup-style version of the sport made its debut as an Olympic event this year, and Team USA became its first champion with an 18-15 win over Russia. Out center Stefanie Dolson, who plays for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, led scorers in the gold medal game and reveled in the moment. “It’s special to be the first of anything but basketball runs deep in USA blood, so this is very special,” Dolson said. Come Out Fighting Other out LGBTQ medalists used their moment of sports glory to come out and add to calls for international LGBTQ equality. Polish rower Katarzyna Zillman grabbed the mic and came out publicly by thanking her girlfriend after capturing a silver medal in the quadruple sculls. She said afterward that she “felt the need” to come out to lend her voice against growing homophobic attitudes in her home country. “Our view is that we’ve got a culture of manaaki (inclusion) and it’s our role to support all eligible athletes on our team,” NZOC spokesperson Ashley Abbott told AFP. “In terms of social media, we won’t be engaging in any kind of negative debate.” Other notable events on the docket include Monday’s Women’s Soccer semifinals, where all four teams (USA, Canada, Australia, Sweden) feature LGBTQ athletes, including Canada’s Quinn, the first trans nonbinary athlete ever to compete at the Olympics. Saturday will see Team USA’s Hannah Roberts and Perris Benegas attempt to bring home medals in Women’s BMX Freestyle. Out boxer Nesthy Petecio will attempt to capture the Philippines’ first Olympic boxing gold medal when she steps into the ring on Tuesday. U.S. freestyle wrestler Kayla Miracle will make history on Tuesday when she becomes the first out LGBTQ athlete to compete in Olympic wrestling. Team USA Women’s Basketball also continues its gold medal push. Come Out, Olympics, Gay Athletes: Previously on Towleroad More Come Out at Olympics. Record Number of Out Athletes Pushed Higher. Queer Nation’s LGBTQ Medals Rank 11th, Ahead of Canada Brian Bell July 31, 2021 Read More More LGBTQ Athletes Than Ever At Olympics (166+); Tom Daley Gold Medals; France Gets Judo Silver; Japan Takes Softball Gold, Team USA Gets Silver Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More Olympics vs. COVID Finals Down To Wire: Postponed a Year; Fans Banned Last Week, Tokyo State Of Emergency Today; Athletes Cancel Towleroad July 12, 2021 Read More Tom Daley Will Consider Having Another Kid ‘after the Olympics’; Son Robbie, 2 years, is Clear On a Brother AND a Sister Towleroad May 29, 2021 Read More As Japan Olympics Begin, Local Groups Say Anti-Trans, Anti-Gay Remarks ‘Less-than-Equality’ Bill Violate Games’ Charter Brian Bell May 25, 2021 Read More Covid-19 Spike Close to Overwhelming Hospitals; Tokyo Doctors ‘strongly request’ Officials Cancel Delayed Japan Olympics Towleroad May 18, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Team USA View the full article

DaBaby Homophobia doubles downMore repercussions and criticism arose for rapper DaBaby following his homophobic and HIV/AIDS-derogatory comments at Rolling Loud last weekend and his constant defenses and non-apologies throughout the week. After being dropped by clothing brand BooHoo and fielding backlash from notable peers of the music industry, including Elton John and Dua Lipa, it seems that his comments have cost him his spot at Manchester, England’s Parklife 2021 music festival. DaBaby was scheduled to perform at the event in September, but an updated lineup card appeared this week that didn’t include his name. DaBaby was advertised with top-billing on previous lineup cards, including one promoted by the event’s Instagram account earlier this month. While Parklife 2021 organizers haven’t commented publicly on why DaBaby was removed from the lineup, many believe that his near-daily defenses of his homophobic comments on Sunday were what led to the decision. Those representing DaBaby pushed back on any connection between his removal and his comments on Thursday, telling TMZ that “he pulled out of the festival months ago … in response to events being affected by COVID-19.” They attributed the Parklife 2021 advertisement from earlier this month with DaBaby’s name intact on it as “a mistake by the festival.” Once again, rapper T.I. came to DaBaby’s defense via Instagram Live Wednesday, saying that the gay community is “bullying” rappers. “We all stood up on behalf of gays and lesbians and people in the gay community because we thought it was some bullshit for y’all to have to be bullied,” he said. “But I don’t think any of us did that to feel like you would now have the authority to come and bully us.” Rapper Boosie Badazz, who has a long homophobic and transphobic history of his own, also stood behind DaBaby while making physical threats against openly gay rapper Lil Nas X. “Lil Nas X said he wanna perform naked on stage for charity. You don’t fuck with him like you fuck with DaBaby,” he said. “Be even-sided. You don’t feel that’s disrespect? … You don’t think that’s disrespect in front of boys who tryna be straight? It’s totally disrespect. If I’m at an awards and he go up there naked, I’m gonna drag his ass off stage and beat his ass.” Tory Lanez, better known for allegedly shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion than anything in his music career, offered a defense of the rapper who brought him onstage at Rolling Loud as a surprise, likely violating a protection order that prohibits him from coming within 100 yards of Thee Stallion. “When did rap get so politically correct that u can’t speak your mind and have an opinion,” Lanez said via Twitter. “Rappers will not always be right, and u don’t have to agree. But they have a right to speak their mind.” Black queer musical artist AdrianXpression offered the best retort to Lanez’ comment, saying “Rap (which you don’t do lol) was made to give a voice to oppressed black ppl in a white supremacist society that was fucking them up. Why would you want to then use that art form to oppress other groups of (black) people by being homophobic? It makes no sense.” DaBaby Homophobia: Previously on Towleroad DaBaby Homophobia Week Spirals : Madonna, Questlove, Lovato Call Out Rapper. U.K. Festival Removes Him From Lineup Brian Bell July 30, 2021 Read More Elton, Dua, Usher, GLAAD Try to Set Da Baby Straight; Rapper Claims Hateful Comments are Living his ‘Truth’ Just as Queers Come Out to Live Theirs. Brian Bell July 29, 2021 Read More Rapper Dababy Delivers Homophobic, Anti-AIDS Interlude at Rolling Loud, Doubles Down on Comments; T.I. Comes to His Defense Brian Bell July 27, 2021 Read More The Lil Nas X Gay Coronation Covers NY Times Magazine; Crowned With ‘Elaborately braided Black Boy Joy’; Welcome Generation Z Brian Bell July 9, 2021 Read More Check Out ‘Single Record’ The New Sexy Gay Hip Hop Original Series: WATCH Savas Abadsidis January 23, 2019 Read More Ja Rule Goes on Homophobic Tirade Against ‘Power Bottom’ 50 Cent Andy Towle January 23, 2018 Read More Photo courtesy of A-Side Entertainment/Creative Commons View the full article