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Published by AFP A photo of the asteroid Bennu taken by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft Washington (AFP) – An asteroid known as Bennu will pass within half the distance of the Earth to the Moon in the year 2135 but the probability of an impact with our planet in the coming centuries is very slight, scientists said Wednesday. OSIRIS-REx, a NASA spacecraft, spent two years near Bennu, an asteroid that is about 1,650 feet (500 meters) wide, observing its size, shape, mass and composition and monitoring its orbital trajectory around the sun. Using its robotic arm, the spacecraft also collected a sample from the surface of the asteroid that will help researchers determine the future trajectory of Bennu. The rocks and dust collected by OSIRIS-REx are scheduled to return to Earth on September 24, 2023. Bennu was discovered in 1999 and is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid. It will make a close approach with Earth in September 2135. Scientists want to figure out how Earth’s gravity and a phenomenon known as the Yarkovsky effect will affect its future trajectory and the potential for an impact on a subsequent orbit. “The OSIRIS-REx data give us so much more precise information, we can test the limits of our models and calculate the future trajectory of Bennu to a very high degree of certainty through 2135,” said Davide Farnocchia, a scientist with the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “We’ve never modeled an asteroid’s trajectory to this precision before,” said Farnocchia, lead author of a study published in the journal Icarus. “The impact probability overall is very small,” he stressed. “We shouldn’t be worried about it too much.” Farnocchia said the risk from Bennu “is smaller than from the undiscovered population of objects of similar size.” Researchers determined Bennu’s total impact probability between now and the year 2300 at about one in 1,750, or 0.057 percent. “We are still looking for what we don’t know out there — the objects that haven’t been found yet,” said Lindley Johnson of NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. Johnson said researchers were studying ways to redirect the orbit of an asteroid should it ever become necessary to do so. He said an asteroid impacting Earth would cause a crater about 10 to 20 times the size of the object and spawn an area of devastation about 100 times the size of the crater. But, Johnson added, “We really don’t think we need to do anything about Bennu.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Karamo Brown met his new boyfriend after “accidentally” liking an Instagram post. The ‘Queer Eye’ star – who split from fiance Ian Jordan in summer 2020 – has found love with Carlos Medel and revealed they connected after he was browsing the photographer’s work and mistakenly clicked on one of his pictures, prompting the 29-year-old art director to get in touch. He explained: “Let me tell you something. The day I deleted Tinder, I went to Instagram and was looking at beauty things. I like to watch makeup and hair things because they relax me, even though I’m bald and he’s a beauty photographer. “So he shoots the make-up for Kylie Cosmetics, all these big brands. I saw his and it was like, these are some beautiful shots and I accidentally clicked a photo. “He saw it and said, thank you for liking my work and that’s how we met.” The 41-year-old star had been an avid Tinder user when he first split from Ian. He admitted: “I was on Tinder swiping. I was on a date every single day while I was in Austin. I went on at least 40 dates with 40 guys in a matter of time, I’m not joking.” The culture expert also opened up on his split from Ian and admitted the couple’s therapy they had been undergoing made him realise they weren’t “aligned”. Speaking to Catt Sadler on her virtual talk show ‘A Drink With Live!’, he said: “The break-up with my ex, luckily he and I are still friends. We were together for nine years. We were planning our wedding. Our engagement got drawn out for two years, and the reason I would tell people like, oh, all these things. “The reason that was, was because he didn’t want me to tell that we were going through therapy because there was a lot of things that I was just like, before I walked down this aisle, we have to figure out. “We have to figure out, are we in line for the next 40 years? Are we in line with our values of how we are going to raise our family, our grandkids, if we have them? How are we going to align with what do we want to do with our finances, even more? “But in the therapy, it just became abundantly clear to me that we weren’t aligned.” Although his relationship with Ian didn’t work out, Karamo found therapy was still helpful for his future as it helped him determine what he wants and deserves in a relationship. He said: “Because I’d already did the work on myself. I was like, let me go out there and find someone.” Karamo Brown previously on Towleroad View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X thinks it is “dangerous” for him to speak about homophobia within rap. The ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ hitmaker is one of very few openly LGBTQ artists working within the genre and he admitted he has to be careful about criticising others for anti-gay remarks – including DaBaby, who was recently embroiled in a scandal over remarks he made on stage at Rolling Loud Miami – because he’s concerned about his safety. Asked about such comments, he told Variety: “The honest truth is, I don’t want to speak on a lot of the homophobia within rap because I feel like this is a very dangerous playing field. It’s more for my own safety rather than anything else.” And pressed as to whether the comments made him feel unsafe, the 22-year-old star said “absolutely” and admitted he’s had to hire security because of a backlash to his ‘Montero’ video. He said: “[There was] literally someone who chased my car a few days after that video came out, yelling, ‘F*** you!’ or something. And that’s when I actually started getting security.” The ‘Industry Baby’ singer – whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill – had a crisis of confidence during lockdown but is in a much better place now and has vowed to be “even more authentic” than ever. He said: “Honestly, I believe the pandemic helped me get out of the idea of trying to please everybody, and the idea of ‘He’s a cool gay person; he’s an acceptable gay person. “I used to see things like that as a compliment, but it’s not. It just means you’re a people pleaser, and they never become legends. I wanted to be even more authentic in my music and let people into my life. I’m much more confident now — in my music, myself, my sexuality, the things that I believe that I stand for.” Lil Nas x relationship previously on Towleroad View the full article

Published by AFP An American flag endorsing QAnon, one of the conspiracy theories cited by a father who confessed to killing his children because he believed it would save the world from Los Angeles (AFP) – An American father charged with killing his two children with a spear fishing gun claims he was “enlightened” by QAnon and other conspiracy theories and was saving the world from “monsters” who had “serpent DNA,” a federal complaint said. Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, told authorities in California he knew he was doing wrong, but that “it was the only course of action that would save the world,” the complaint prepared by federal agents said. Coleman was charged Wednesday with taking his children, aged two years and 10 months, to Mexico and killing them there before returning to the United States, where he was arrested. The children’s mother first raised the alarm on August 7 when Coleman took them from the home they shared. He had said he was taking them camping, but refused to tell her where and did not answer calls or text messages. He also did not have a child car seat with him. A day later police tracked him using the Find My iPhone app, which showed his last known location as being in Rosarito, Mexico. When he crossed back in to the United States the next day he was detained by the FBI at the border. Coleman confessed to shooting both his children with the spear fishing gun and leaving their bodies in Mexico, where they were found by Mexican authorities. He “stated that he believed his children were going to grow into monsters so he had to kill them,” according to the complaint. He told agents that he was “enlightened by QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories and was receiving visions and signs revealing that his wife … possessed serpent DNA and had passed it on to his children,” it continued. He told federal law enforcement he believed he was “saving the world from monsters,” the complaint said. Coleman was charged with the foreign murder of US nationals. View the full article

Playlist: Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin [This post contains video, click to play] Franklin’s Site Published by AFP Actress/singer Jennifer Hudson was hand-picked by Aretha Franklin to play her in musical biopic Los Angeles (AFP) – Aretha Franklin decided Jennifer Hudson was the natural woman to play her in musical biopic “Respect,” personally hand-picking the singer-actress a few years before her death in 2018. The late “Queen of Soul” shared not just a phenomenal vocal ability with the “Dreamgirls” star, but also a deep vein of personal tragedy. As the movie shows, Franklin’s childhood was shattered at just nine years old by her mother’s death, and her own pregnancy at the age of 12. She later battled a controlling father, a violent husband and alcohol addiction. Hudson, who rose to fame on “American Idol” and won an Oscar at age 25, dealt with her own horrors when her mother, brother and nephew were murdered by her sister’s estranged husband in 2008. “I needed to be in a certain place, and to have gone through what I’ve experienced in life, to be able to portray her,” Hudson told a Los Angeles screening ahead of the film’s release this Friday. “At least at this point that’s how I feel.” Hudson’s own tragedy had not yet struck when she first nervously met with her idol Franklin to discuss the nascent film project some 15 years ago. Eight years would pass before Franklin — having considered other contenders including Halle Berry — called and told Hudson she had the part. “To play the Queen of Soul is nothing you’re ever going to get used to. I’m still taking it in doses,” said Hudson. The choice of Hudson has been a hit, with her soaring performance already tipped for awards recognition, even if the film itself has drawn lukewarm early reviews. In a departure from most musical biopics, Hudson sang and recorded live on set Franklin’s hits such as “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and of course “Respect.” Hudson also learned to play piano for the part, which involved 83 costume changes and 11 different wigs — including Franklin’s signature beehive look. ‘Translate her pain’ The movie spans two decades of Franklin’s life, beginning with her childhood and then chronicling the years spent working on her first nine albums, each of which failed to land a single hit. Franklin was dropped by Columbia Records before finding her gospel-inflected voice through sessions at a remote Alabama recording studio during which she drew on her own dark past. “I think it was her ability to translate her pain for an audience of millions,” the film’s screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson told AFP at its Los Angeles premiere. “She was able to take her own personal pain and sing all types of songs about it — songs of empowerment, sexy-romantic songs. She was always able to live her life through her music.” The movie also covers Franklin’s long involvement with the civil rights movement, having grown up the daughter of an influential Baptist minister (played by Forest Whitaker) who counted Martin Luther King Jr among his family friends. Franklin often sang at political rallies, and performed at King’s 1968 funeral — just as Hudson would ultimately perform at the diva’s own memorial. “Being in her position at a time like that — being a Black woman, and then being as close as she was to Dr King — and then having to get out there and still lift everyone else up… think about the pain she was going through in that moment,” said Hudson. “I think of moments like that,” added Hudson, who — like Franklin — began singing in gospel choirs, and has credited her faith with helping her get through tragedy. “Because too often people forget icons and legends are human beings too and they have a life.” Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin previously on Towleroad Lil Nas X Industry Cred Rises: 5 VMA Nominations for ‘Montero’ including ‘Best Video’; 100 Million Streams tops DaBaby August 11, 2021 Read More World of Batman Now Even More Queer; Longtime Robin Comes Out as Questioning in DC Comics Anthology Series August 11, 2021 Read More Cuomo Excuses: Call it Generational shift or feigned ignorance? #MeToo’s ‘redrawn lines’Make Clear Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse. August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. Senate to try again to pass voting rights in September, Schumer says August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. judge says some Trump records should be turned over to House panel August 11, 2021 Read More Elliot Page Awarded for Prejudice-busting Work and Life On And Off Screen; Sheds Light on Dark Prejudices; Shares Unseen Prides and Joys August 11, 2021 Read More Raven Saunders’ ‘X’ Protest Gesture Did Not Violate Rules, Says USOPC August 10, 2021 Read More Beyonce building hemp and honey farms. . ‘I’ve even got hives on my roof!’ August 10, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X is in a relationship with “someone special”. The 22-year-old musician has revealed he has a new boyfriend after dating several “emotionally unavailable” men in the past, and now believes he has found “the one” in his new mystery man. He said: “I’ve had some good boyfriends and some bad ones. A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and whatnot. I’ve found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can’t explain it – it’s just a feeling.” Nas also opened up on discovering he was gay when he was five, after he realised he had a crush on his half-sister’s cousin. He added: “I had feelings for my sister’s cousin – we have different dads. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, he’s really cute,’ and thought that about a lot of other boys my age.” But the ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ singer didn’t get into his first committed relationship until he turned 18. Speaking to Variety magazine’s Power of Young Hollywood issue: “I was 18, I believe. Before that, there was a guy who wasn’t my boyfriend, but we met in middle school and we talked, after we both found out that each other were gay. But I didn’t act on anything until high school – well, middle school, but then high school. “Once I was 17 or 18, I finally accepted [I was gay] – like, for sure accepted it, slowly, more and more – and now I’ve grown into a person that is 100 percent open with it.” The ‘Industry Baby’ hitmaker previously revealed he was dating someone in October last year, but it is unclear if the mystery man is the same person as his current partner. He explained at the time: “I’m dating someone right now. We’re not in a relationship yet, but it’s been on and off for the past few months. I’m maybe going to try to go steady this time.” Karamo Brown previously on Towleroad Lil Nas X Scared Commenting on Homophobia in Rap; More Confident, Authentic Because ‘People Pleasers …never become legends’ August 12, 2021 Read More US QAnon dad killed his children over ‘serpent DNA’: FBI August 12, 2021 Read More Jennifer Hudson As Aretha Franklin in ‘Respect’ Gives All of Herself; Her Own Intense Traumas Gave Entree to Franklin’s: WATCH the GMA Medley August 12, 2021 Read More Lil Nas X Industry Cred Rises: 5 VMA Nominations for ‘Montero’ including ‘Best Video’; 100 Million Streams tops DaBaby August 11, 2021 Read More World of Batman Now Even More Queer; Longtime Robin Comes Out as Questioning in DC Comics Anthology Series August 11, 2021 Read More Cuomo Excuses: Call it Generational shift or feigned ignorance? #MeToo’s ‘redrawn lines’ Make Clear Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse. August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. Senate to try again to pass voting rights in September, Schumer says August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. judge says some Trump records should be turned over to House panel August 11, 2021 Read More Load More Lil Nas X Scared Commenting on Homophobia in Rap; More Confident, Authentic Because ‘People Pleasers …never become legends’ August 12, 2021 Read More US QAnon dad killed his children over ‘serpent DNA’: FBI August 12, 2021 Read More Jennifer Hudson As Aretha Franklin in ‘Respect’ Gives All of Herself; Her Own Intense Traumas Gave Entree to Franklin’s: WATCH the GMA Medley August 12, 2021 Read More Lil Nas X Industry Cred Rises: 5 VMA Nominations for ‘Montero’ including ‘Best Video’; 100 Million Streams tops DaBaby August 11, 2021 Read More World of Batman Now Even More Queer; Longtime Robin Comes Out as Questioning in DC Comics Anthology Series August 11, 2021 Read More Cuomo Excuses: Call it Generational shift or feigned ignorance? #MeToo’s ‘redrawn lines’ Make Clear Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse. August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. Senate to try again to pass voting rights in September, Schumer says August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. judge says some Trump records should be turned over to House panel August 11, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Lil Nas X Industry Baby Lil Nas X Industry Darling As his latest single “Industry Baby” continues to rack up streaming stats, rapper Lil Nas X added five MTV Video Music Award nominations, including Video of the Year, to his humongous 2021 on Wednesday. The video for the artist’s gloriously gay, unapologetic video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” is in the running for Video of the Year, Video for Good, Best Direction, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction. Only Justin Beiber (7) and Megan Thee Stallion (6) rank higher in total nominations than the Atlanta native. News of his VMA nods comes as he builds success after success ahead of the release of his first full-length studio album “Montero.” His latest single, “Industry Baby,” recently passed 100 million streams on Spotify. In a bit of irony, he also recently surpassed rapper DaBaby, who remains embroiled in controversy over homophobic and HIV/AIDS-phobic comments made last month, as Spotify’s most listened to male rapper. Add to that two Grammys and two MTV VMA awards for his star-making “Old Town Road” remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, and things continue to come up roses for the outspoken artist. There is also the chance for a sixth MTV VMA nomination as the contenders for the “Song of Summer” category are yet to be announced. Considering the success of “Industry Baby” and multiple memorable performances of “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” there is a high likelihood that Lil Nas X will add another shot at a Moonman before the award ceremony gets underway next month. Montero Lil Nas X Industry Coming Out PartyLil Nas X Industry: Previously on Towleroad Lil Nas X Industry Cred Rises: 5 VMA Nominations for ‘Montero’ including ‘Best Video’; 100 Million Streams tops DaBaby Brian Bell August 11, 2021 Read More New Old Melissa Etheridge; Lil Nas X by Kanye, Ariana Grande Live; Spice Girls Junior Remix; Billy Porter Mixed With Jessie J; Wannabe 25. Need We say more? Michael Goff July 26, 2021 Read More The Lil Nas X Nike Case To ‘Litigate’ The Satan Shoe Affair Is Promo for New Kanye-Produced Single ‘Industry Baby’ This Week Brian Bell July 20, 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 Visage, Shears, Jessie J, Coldplay, Todrick Hall’s ‘D This Big’; Troye Sivan, Divine Throwback, Biden Pride and Lil Nas X is ‘Smalltown Boy’: Gay Music Watch Part 3 Michael Goff July 5, 2021 Read More BET Praises Lil Nas X’s First Gay Kiss At BET Awards. Rapper Flames Critics, Celebrates 2 Years Out; ‘I Love Who I Am and Whatever I Decide To Do’ Brian Bell July 1, 2021 Read More Screenshot via YouTube View the full article

Batman and Tim DrakeBatman series gets another queer angle Tim Drake has helped combat Gotham City villains for decades as one of many Robins, but a new chapter in Drake’s story made the world of Batman queerer. Tuesday’s release of “Batman: Urban Legends #6” housed the reveal, showing the DC Comics staple coming out on the final pages. The moment came when Drake’s friend Bernard asks him out on a date after Drake as Robin rescues him from the clutches of Gotham’s latest baddie, the Chaos Monster. Drake accepts the offer with a beaming smile in the issue’s final panel. Penned by writer Meghan Fitzmartin, the issue wraps up the “Sum of Our Parts” portion of the “Urban Legends” anthology series by confirming what audiences have long speculated about Drake. For Fitzmartin, bringing Drake’s identity to the page was “the story Tim needed to tell.” “The greatest thing about working with an established IP is that there are so many story decisions for characters that have already been made for you (often by people much smarter than you),” Fitzmartin told Polygon. “[‘Sum of Our Parts’] happened because this is who Tim is. I love this character very much, and as I went back to reread as much as I could to do Robin justice, it became clear this is the story Tim needed to tell.” Unlike other characters who have donned the Robin persona, Drake’s identity beyond it hasn’t truly formed despite being part of Batman and other DC stories for upwards of 30 years. Focusing on Drake’s journey to self-definition was pivotal to Fitzmartin’s taking on the story. Discussions between Fitzmartin and editor Dave Wielgosz led them to “the conclusion that it needed to be a story about identity and discovery.” While Drake’s coming out has been covered widely as him coming out as bisexual, Fitzmartin told Polygon that Drake “hasn’t put a label on himself,” leaving the character as his author space to further explore how he identifies. “I wanted to pay tribute to the fact that sexuality is a journey,” she said. “Tim is still figuring himself out. I don’t think he has the language for it all… yet.” Regardless, the queer boy wonder joins the stable of out LGBTQ characters within the Batman-sphere, (Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Batwoman) and the greater DC universe. Batman Queer: Previously on Towleroad World of Batman Now Even More Queer; Longtime Robin Comes Out as Questioning in DC Comics Anthology Series Brian Bell August 11, 2021 Read More Pride Month Gay Comics Roundup: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Many Others Celebrate Their LGBTQ Characters, Creators Brian Bell June 16, 2021 Read More Brazil’s Largest Newspaper Publishes Massive ‘Avengers’ Gay Kiss in Defiance of Rio Mayor Andy Towle September 9, 2019 Read More Rio De Janeiro Authorities Ban ‘Avengers’ Comic Book Series Over Gay Kiss Andy Towle September 7, 2019 Read More Amid ‘Eternals’ Rumors, Marvel Production Chief Says ‘the World is Ready’ for a Gay Superhero Andy Towle March 8, 2019 Read More Holy Endowment, Batman! The Caped Crusader Goes Full-Frontal for First Time in New Comic Book Towleroad September 20, 2018 Read More Image via DC Comics View the full article

Published by AFP Andrew Cuomo is far from the only powerful man accused of sexual misconduct to owe his behavior to not knowing better New York (AFP) – New York’s soon-to-be ex-governor Andrew Cuomo is the latest politician to blame inappropriate behavior on shifting cultural norms, a defense critics see as a tactic to shirk responsibility in the face of scandal. Prior to his dramatic downfall and resignation, Cuomo was well-known for ruling with a mix of paternalism and pugnacity. He has insisted he always acted within bounds, even as women including former staffers began speaking out against him. But on Tuesday, one week after the release of a bombshell report from the state attorney general’s office — allegations included inappropriate touching and intimidating accusers — the now politically ostracized 63-year-old said he now realized the boundaries had shifted. “I have been too familiar with people. My sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting,” the governor said in a lengthy address announcing he would step down. “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone,” said the nearly three-term state leader once tapped as a national political contender. “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate.” Cuomo — who frequently touted his own efforts to end workplace discrimination, including signing legislation to that effect — is far from the only powerful man accused of sexual misconduct to attribute his behavior to not knowing better. Former senator Al Franken, who resigned from US Congress in 2017 after snowballing allegations of unwanted touching and kissing, said he “learned from recent stories” that “I crossed a line for some women.” And President Joe Biden has faced a number of accusations of inappropriate physical contact, which he and his supporters attributed to his touchy-feely style. “So I invaded your space. I’m sorry this happened,” Biden said, when asked to apologize during the 2020 race. “I’m not sorry in the sense that I think I did anything that was intentionally designed to do anything wrong or be inappropriate.” ‘Power grab’ For Jean Sinzdak, an associate director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, such a defense is “a disingenuous argument and missing the point.” “This behavior has always been inappropriate,” she told AFP. “There’s nothing new about the fact that it’s inappropriate.” “It’s just now our society’s understanding that it’s inappropriate, that women have been suffering with this for so long, and it’s no longer acceptable that they suffer.” Audrey Nelson, a Colorado-based expert in gender communication, called Cuomo’s blame on a generational disconnect “a scapegoat.” “Personal space is personal space,” she told AFP. “It is not generational.” And invading that space? “If you want to reduce it to one simple concept, it’s about power,” Nelson said. She recalled the tenure of Bill Clinton — a former US president who multiple women in the 1990s accused of sexual harassment — who Nelson said “was known for pulling people in” when greeting them. “You’d shake hands, then he’d grab your upper arm and pull you in,” Nelson said. “The power grab.” The same was true in Cuomo’s case, she added: “It’s about conquering.” Different political standards? A number of the US politicians who’ve resigned in recent years in the face of harassment accusations have been Democrats, including Franken, one-time New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman, and now Cuomo. Conversely many Republicans, including former president Donald Trump and Supreme Court judge Brett Kavanaugh, have declined to step down despite accusations of sexual assault. Alabama Republican Roy Moore ran twice for Senate office — both times unsuccessfully — despite claims he had sexually assaulted multiple women including several minors. Sinzdak said the responses to sexual harassment allegations don’t necessarily fall along party lines — “every case is different,” she said — but that Democrats may “have a harder time looking away” given their frequent support of causes like anti-harassment laws. “It would be hard for them as a party, with the platform that they have, to look the other way. In that sense, the Democrats are held to a higher standard,” she said. Sinzdak praised the #MeToo movement for “putting a spotlight on the issues of harassment and abuse, and giving women a voice and a platform to share their stories.” “It’s been the equivalent of a cultural earthquake in the political world, and we’re going to feel the reverberations for a long time,” she said. Part of that earthquake for Nelson means “intentions” — which politicians including Cuomo have cited in explaining that they never meant harm — are no longer a valid excuse to justify bad behavior. “Be aware. Pay attention,” she said. “Hell is full of people with good intentions.” Ignorance of the law is no excuse on Towleroad U.S. Senate to try again to pass voting rights in September, Schumer says August 11, 2021 Read More U.S. judge says some Trump records should be turned over to House panel August 11, 2021 Read More Elliot Page Awarded for Prejudice-busting Work and Life On And Off Screen; Sheds Light on Dark Prejudices; Shares Unseen Prides and Joys August 11, 2021 Read More Raven Saunders’ ‘X’ Protest Gesture Did Not Violate Rules, Says USOPC August 10, 2021 Read More Beyonce building hemp and honey farms. . ‘I’ve even got hives on my roof!’ August 10, 2021 Read More Chet Hanks won’t have coronavirus vaccine August 10, 2021 Read More Jesse Williams to star in Take Me Out August 10, 2021 Read More COVID: WHO Booster Shot Opposition Until Low-Income Countries have One – Is It Justifiable? August 10, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate will make another attempt to pass a bill promoting voting rights next month, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday, even as he acknowledged it is likely that “Republicans won’t join us.” Schumer said he had huddled with nine Democratic senators ranging from moderates to progressives, and they will produce legislation to be the first order of business when the Senate returns to session in mid-September. He did not rule out making an exception to Senate rules, such as the filibuster, to advance the measure. The Senate is divided 50-50 between the parties, so Republicans are able to stop Democratic initiatives under the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes for most legislation to advance. In June, Republicans blocked debate on the Democrats’ proposed elections overhaul, which was aimed at combating a wave of voting restrictions https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-erect-voting-barriers-politically-crucial-us-states-2021-06-16 passed by Republican-led state legislatures. “We have made progress and we are showing very clearly to every one of our 50 senators that Republicans won’t join us. And yet the importance of voting rights, if anything, has strengthened in the minds of everybody,” Schumer told a news conference. “Republicans refusing to support anything on voting rights is not an excuse for Democrats to do nothing.” But if the next attempt is to avoid the same fate as the previous one, some Democrats, including Senator Patty Murray, have suggested carving out an exception to the filibuster rule. Still, other Democrats could be an obstacle to such a move, like moderate Senator Joe Manchin who has said he opposes any exception to the filibuster. Currently, there are 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and two independents who align themselves with Democrats in the Senate. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said that voting rights are not a federal issue and should be left to the states. The Democratic measure that Senate Republicans blocked in June would have ended partisan gerrymandering and overhauled campaign finance laws, as well as created national standards for voting registration and early voting. It passed the House of Representatives earlier this year. Civil rights groups say Republican-led efforts to enact restrictions in a number of states would make voting more difficult for many Black and Hispanic citizens, many of whom are supporters of Democrats. The state restrictions follow Republican former President Donald Trump’s false claim that voting fraud was widespread in the 2020 election that he lost to Biden, a Democrat. (additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Wednesday ordered Donald Trump’s accounting firm Mazars to turn over some of the former president’s financial records to a U.S. House of Representatives committee but not all of the documents sought by the congressional panel. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta came in a long-running lawsuit brought by the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee, which first issued a subpoena for Trump’s financial records in 2019. Mehta said Mazars should turn over documents relating to Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C., saying the committee proved that it needed them to evaluate potential legislation and conduct government oversight. But the judge did not allow House investigators to see disclosure forms Trump submitted to the government that outlined his assets and liabilities. Mehta said he was “left wondering about the necessity (or even unique usefulness) of President Trump’s personal papers.” The lawsuit is back in Mehta’s courtroom after a trip to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a July 2020 decision, the high court said Mehta needed to redo his legal analysis. In that 7-2 decision, the justices said that in Mehta’s courtroom House Democrats needed to further explain their need for the records, and that Mehta should weigh that stated justification against the burdens placed on Trump by complying with the subpoena. Unlike other recent presidents, Trump refused to release his tax returns and other documents that could provide details on his wealth and the activities of his family company, the Trump Organization. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has separately obtained Trump’s tax returns, but that does not mean the public will see them. The records were obtained in connection with a grand jury investigation, and New York law requires that grand jury materials be kept confidential. In a statement, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said she was pleased the court recognizes the panel is “entitled to a broad set of President Trump’s financial records as part of our critical investigation aimed at preventing presidential conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and constitutional violations.” She added that she is also disappointed the ruling “narrowed the subpoena” in some respects and said the panel is “actively considering next steps.” (Reporting by Jan WolfeEditing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Elliot PageElliot Page To Receive Outfest Annual Achievement Award Outfest Los Angeles, one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals, will award Elliot Page with its Achievement Award when the festivities get underway later this month. “It gives me great honor to be the recipient of this year’s Outfest Annual Achievement Award and represent the LGBTQ Plus community … Now more than ever, it is so important for our voices to be amplified and represented in film and media, and for people to hear our stories,” Page said. The famed actor has built a sizable resume since rising to prominence in the films “Juno” and “Hard Candy,” but has focused much of his recent career on telling stories rooted in systemic prejudices facing marginalized communities and celebrations of LGBTQ culture. Notable among those projects are “The Cured” and “Gaycation,” which Page produced, and the documentary “There’s Something In The Water,” Page’s directorial debut. Award will Cap Festival and Outfest’s Trans and Nonbinary Summit “There is no one more poised to receive this year’s Outfest Annual Achievement Award than Elliot. His courage, advocacy and personal journey have made him one of the most admired and respected public figures of his generation and his talent and voice are leading a new generation within the LGBTQIA+ and entertainment community,” Damien S. Navarro, Outfest executive director, told Variety. “When determining the recipient of our highest honor we look for those that have been a powerful representative for our community, that have soared to the highest levels of recognition for their talent and who have stepped into the shoes themselves as an independent filmmaker and creator,” Navarro added. Kieran Median, organizer of Outfest LA’s Trans and Nonbinary Summit, will present the award to Page at the festival’s closing gala, putting an exclamation point on the week-plus celebration of queer cinema and filmmakers. More than 170 projects are set to screen at this year’s installment. Notable at Outfest Notable among 2021’s offerings are a pair of documentaries, “Gemmel & Tim” and “Crystal Diaries,” focused on the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Michael Dean at the hands of now-convicted murderer Ed Buck and the fight to bring Buck to justice. Queer Southern family drama “Socks On Fire” and Charles Busch’s caper comedy “The Sixth Reel” are also among the centerpiece films at this year’s event. Outfest LA gets runs from Aug. 13-22 both in person and virtually. Award Elliot Page: Previously on Towleroad Elliot Page Awarded for Prejudice-busting Work and Life On And Off Screen; Sheds Light on Dark Prejudices; Shares Unseen Prides and Joys Brian Bell August 11, 2021 Read More Elliot Page: ‘I knew I was a boy as a toddler’ Towleroad May 1, 2021 Read More Cheer Mom Deep Fakes Rivals; Katie Porter; Future Burners; Elliot Time; Tucker Salad; Lemon Side; Trump dogged; Liza, GenX, LoveB: HOT LINKS Michael Goff March 16, 2021 Read More Elliot Page Thanks Fans for ‘Love and Support’ in First Post Since Coming Out as Trans Andy Towle December 21, 2020 Read More ‘Umbrella Academy’ and ‘Juno’ Star Elliot Page Comes Out as Transgender Andy Towle December 1, 2020 Read More View the full article

Published by uSports.org Team USA shot-putter Raven Saunders sparked controversy by highlighting “oppression” during her protest on the Olympic podium. Now, USOC has ruled that Saunders did not violate rules against making political statements and acted as a “respectful” athlete. Saunders, who had just won the silver medal in the shot putting, finished with a distance of 19.79 meters. After her near victory, she conducted an interview with NBC News, and shared the reason she raised her hands into an “X.” She wanted to show the intersection where all people who are oppressed meet. Saunders also said that she “wants to … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Beyonce is building hemp and honey farms. The ‘Formation’ singer – who has children Blue Ivy, nine, and Rumi and Sir, four, with husband Jay-Z – admitted the coronavirus pandemic gave her the time to “create positive rituals” to look after herself better and she’s “so happy” to be setting a good example for her kids by embracing the healing properties of the natural world. Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar for their Icon issue, she said: “During quarantine, I went from overindulgences to creating positive rituals drawing from past generations and putting my own spin on things. “I discovered CBD on my last tour, and I’ve experienced its benefits for soreness and inflammation. It helped with my restless nights and the agitation that comes from not being able to fall asleep. I found healing properties in honey that benefit me and my children. “And now I’m building a hemp and a honey farm. “I’ve even got hives on my roof! And I’m so happy that my daughters will have the example of those rituals from me.” And the 39-year-old star admitted her new interest sparked one of her “most satisfying moments” as a parent when she came across her daughter enjoying a relaxing ritual. She added: “One of my most satisfying moments as a mom is when I found Blue one day soaking in the bath with her eyes closed, using blends I created and taking time for herself to decompress and be at peace. I have so much to share … and there’s more to come soon!” Elsewhere in the interview, Beyonce spoke of how much her own parents, Tina Knowles-Lawson and Mathew Knowles, have inspired her. She said: “My mother has always been my Queen and still is. She has always been so strong and is filled with humanity. She worked 18 hours a day with calloused hands and swollen feet. No matter how tired she was, she was always professional, loving, and nurturing. I try to handle my work and run my company in the same way. “My father constantly encouraged me to write my own songs and create my own vision. He is the reason I wrote and produced at such a young age.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s son won’t be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Hollywood couple were two of the first big name stars to contract the virus in March 2020 but Chet Hanks insisted he doesn’t want anyone “sticking” him with a “needle” and has no plans to join the millions who have been immunised against coronavirus. The 31-year-old musician posted a video on his Instagram account which initially seemed to urge his followers to be vaccinated, before yelling “Psych” and swiftly changing his stance. He said: “I’ve been on the fence about this for awhile, that’s why I never spoke on it, but with the amount of people I know recently that have gotten COVID, and with the numbers rising, I think it’s important for me to say I got the vaccine, I think everybody should. “It’s really important that we all do this. I suggest to all my followers, you guys, set an appointment and get the vaccine first thing – PSYCH! “B****! If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! I never had COVID. Y’ain’t sticking me with that motherf****** needle!” Chet went on to brand the virus the “motherf******* flu”, told Americans to “get over it” and suggested those who are at high risk should simply “stay inside” so others can get on with leading a normal life. He said: “Why are we working around ya’ll? If you’re in danger, stay your ass inside. I’m tired of wearing a motherf****** mask.” Earlier this year, Rita urged people to be vaccinated against the virus as she reflected on it being one year since she and her ‘Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ actor husband had contracted COVID-19. She wrote on Instagram: “One year ago today I was playing the Sydney Opera House, the next day started feeling very tired and achy, two days later hospitalised with Covid 19. “I want to take a moment to say how grateful we are for our health, how thankful we are for the medical care we got in Queensland, and that we share in the sorrow of each person who lost a loved one to this virus. “I’m hopeful for so many being able to get the vaccine.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jesse Williams will star in the TV adaptation of ‘Take Me Out’. Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning play, which tackles baseball and homophobia, is set to be adapted as a limited television series with Jesse in the leading role, Deadline reports. Much of the play is set in the locker room of a professional baseball team, and it features an all-male cast with themes of homophobia, racism, class, and masculinity in sports. It features main character Darren Lemming, a player for the fictional Empires Major League Baseball team, who comes out as gay. At the time of writing the play, no MLB player had ever come out to the public during his career. Jesse will play Lemming in the series as well as the Broadway revival in 2022, which was delayed due to COVID-19. Greenberg will adapt his own play for the small screen, while Scott Ellis will direct the pilot and the Broadway revival. Meanwhile, Jesse, 40, is best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, which he left this year after 12 seasons. Producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff said in a statement before his final episode in May: “Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on screen and off has been a true gift. Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.” View the full article

Jonathan Pugh, University of Oxford; Dominic Wilkinson, University of Oxford, and Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford The World Health Organization has called for a moratorium on COVID vaccine booster programmes until at least the end of September in order to prioritise vaccines for low-income countries. Countries with high vaccination rates, such as the UK, have been considering vaccine booster programmes, given the uncertainty about how long immunity lasts. Booster jabs might be needed to top up waning immunity, particularly in those with weaker immune systems. There is also considerable concern that the virus might mutate in a way that allows it to evade vaccine-induced immunity. A booster might help with that. Yet there is some evidence to suggest that the current vaccines will be able to cope with foreseeable variants. Although it might later be established that booster programmes are necessary to prevent serious disease, there is significant uncertainty about the extent of the benefit of a booster programme. Indeed, the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said that its interim advice on the matter that a booster programme should be offered, starting with those most at risk from serious disease, may “change substantially”. Some critics have labelled the WHO’s call for a moratorium a “false choice” – they claim that it is possible to roll out booster programmes while also ensuring that lower-income countries receive the vaccine supplies they need. But that seems fairly implausible given finite vaccine production and existing shortfalls. In part then, the justification of a moratorium boils down to what extent the low vaccination rate in low-income countries is due to a lack of supply. If there is no problem with supply, no moratorium is needed. But if poor vaccine supply is responsible, then there is a clear ethical choice that needs to be made. Should higher-income countries prioritise their own citizens over foreign nationals with greater need? Although booster jabs would prioritise the most vulnerable people in high-income countries, the degree of additional benefit that boosters would have for these people – beyond the original vaccination – is uncertain. Yet we now know that vaccines could do a huge amount of good for the large number of vulnerable people who have not yet received a single dose. Self-interest v altruism One argument in favour of prioritising vaccinations for low-income countries is that doing so ultimately may be in the self-interest of high-income countries. Increasing the number of vulnerable people around the world who receive initial doses of vaccine may significantly reduce cases and opportunities for viral mutation. That would reduce the chance of vaccine escape and a resurgence of COVID in the UK and other high-income countries where cases are currently falling. The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) put forward this kind of argument after the emergence of initial variants. The strength of this argument against national booster programmes is that people tend to act in accordance with their self-interest. However, the argument is also limited. It depends on the assumption that a vaccine-evading variant is likely to emerge, and that it would not be possible to prevent such a variant from entering a country with other measures, such as closed borders. Altruism provides a more powerful argument for prioritising low-income countries. When the needs of one group significantly outweigh the needs of another, many moral theories would agree that we should prioritise the former over the latter. Indeed, many countries’ vaccine rollouts have been based on giving the vaccine first to those with the greatest need. Of course, when the lower-need group we are considering are our fellow citizens, this might be morally significant. Many philosophers believe that we can have “reasons of partiality” to give priority to those with whom we share a special close relationship. Faced with a choice between saving your spouse from a burning building or two strangers, it might be morally permitted to choose to save your loved one. But this idea is not universally accepted. Some theorists claim that ethics, by definition, should be impartial and that the interests of all people should count equally. If saving two people is better than saving one, perhaps the moral thing to do in the burning building example would be to save the two strangers. But even if you deny this and accept that we can have reasons of partiality, that doesn’t mean that booster programmes can go ahead. First, reasons of partiality can be outweighed. Even if it is ethical to save your spouse rather than two strangers, it might not be ethical to save her rather than 1,000 people or to prioritise her lesser interests (relieving a headache) over a far more significant need (life-threatening illness) in someone else. Second, although the relationship with your spouse or child might plausibly ground special reasons of partiality, it is far less clear that our relationship with fellow citizens generates the same kind of strong moral reasons. Ultimately, there is a powerful altruistic argument for the WHO moratorium. It would be selfish to give booster doses when so many haven’t even had one dose. But one problem lies in the motivational force of altruism. In stark contrast to the self-interest argument, it can be difficult to convince people to act altruistically, even if this is what morality might require. But morality is not politics. There is still a question about whether democratic governments should divert resources on ethical grounds if most of their own citizens would prefer to protect themselves. Jonathan Pugh, Research Fellow in Applied Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford; Dominic Wilkinson, Consultant Neonatologist and Professor of Ethics, University of Oxford, and Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. WHO Moratorium on Booster Shots FOLLOWING UP: DaBaby Apology Gone From Instagram; First Trans Model for Vogue; Sr. Executives Leave Activision Blizzard: August 10, 2021 Read More The “Inner Circle” That Kept Andrew Cuomo Governor Faces Scrutiny: HRC Investigates Leader’s Involvement; Roberta Kaplan Resigns From ‘Time’s Up’ August 9, 2021 Read More U.N. CLIMATE Code Red: Ultimate ‘WAKE-UP CALL’, Current Plans Won’t Prevent ‘Widespread Economic, Social Upheaval’ by 2040 August 9, 2021 Read More Slur, Spin, Or Support? Matt Damon Tells A New ‘F-slur’ Story, ‘Stands With LGBTQ’; What’s Matt Damon Got For Us? (Pick 1) August 6, 2021 Read More 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 Load More View the full article

DaBabyDaBaby Apology Disappears A new wrinkle in the neverending saga of rapper DaBaby’s homophobia and HIV/AIDS-phobic comments emerged Sunday when the loosely defined apology to the LGBTQ community he posted to Instagram last week vanished from the internet. DaBaby released the apology last Monday as several top music festivals dropped him from their lineups. While his apology was criticized as focusing more on taking shots at people who responded negatively to his hateful comments at Rolling Loud last month, some took it as a chance to advance the conversation. 11 HIV/AIDS organizations released an open letter to DaBaby Wednesday that focused on providing education and resources to the rapper. The apology’s deletion conjures further doubt as to whether DaBaby’s comments were genuine and if any further conversations with advocacy groups will occur. Ariel Nicholson’s Historic Vogue Cover Model Ariel Nicholson will become the first out transgender model ever to grace the cover of US Vogue when the magazine’s September issue releases. Themed as “Generation America,” Nicholson joins seven other cover models in a pictoral that reflects an increased focus on diversity. “Obviously it’s a big deal being the first trans woman on the cover of Vogue,” Nicholson told Insider. “But it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible … I’ve been put in this box – trans model. Which is what I am, but that’s not all I am.” Kansas Lawmaker Seeking Treatment After Battery Charge Kansas state Rep. Mark Samsel Kansas state Rep. Mark Samsel forfeited his substitute teaching license and said he is undergoing mental health treatment after unleashing a religious tirade that tread into homophobia and discussion of sexual acts in a Wellsville, KS classroom in April. Samsel, who hasn’t resigned from his elected position, was charged with battery after students recorded him telling them to have sex so they could make babies, asking students if they masturbated and allegedly kneeing a student in the groin while substitute teaching an art class. He also claimed that he knew a sophomore student at the school that had attempted suicide multiple times because his parents were lesbians. Samsel claimed that his actions that day were an “isolated episode of mania with psychotic features” that were a product of “extreme stress, pressure and agitation.” The recent statement from Samsel stands in contrast to previous accounts from Samsel about the incident. including previous statements that the entire situation was premeditated by himself and the students. “The kids and I planned all this to send a message about art, mental health, teenage suicide, how we treat our educators and one another,” Samsel said on Snapchat in May. Activision Blizzard Issues Grow Multiple changes have occurred at gaming giant Activision Blizzard following the ground-shaking allegations of sexual abuse and discrimination contained in a state of California lawsuit against the company released last month. In response to demands made by over 2000 current and former Blizzard employees, including many that staged a walkout in protest of the company, Activision Blizzard has hired WilmerHale, a law firm with a reputation for union-busting, to help review the company’s policies to build a more inclusive workplace. Notable names in top positions have departed the company as well. Blizzard president J. Allen Brack, one of the few individuals directly named in the lawsuit, stepped down from his position last week. Blizzard’s Senior VP of HR, Jesse Meschuk, left the company around the same time. Activision Blizzard EVP Fran Townsend deleted her Twitter account after a tweet from her on “The Problem with Whistleblowing” elicited backlash from Activision Blizzard employees. Townsend previously argued in favor of the military’s use of torture during the Bush administration, where she worked as a homeland security advisor. The lawsuit has also led to major sponsors, including T-Mobile and Coca-Cola, pulling out of deals with Activision Blizzard-owned esports league Overwatch League and Call of Duty League. A separate class-action lawsuit has spawned from the first one as well. The filing alleges that Activision Blizzard misled investors and artificially inflated its stock price by intentionally failing to disclose the allegations detailed in the California lawsuit. DaBaby Apology: 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 Record Crowd For Budapest Pride; Attendees Protest Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Anti-LGBTQ Laws Brian Bell July 26, 2021 Read More View the full article

HRC president Alphonso DavidThe Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the HRC Foundation have launched an investigation into current HRC president Alphonso David’s connections to the team of long-time insiders trying to keep Andrew Cuomo governor of New York. A New York Attorney General report made public last week offered some details of David’s role in moves to undermine those making sexual harassment accusations against the governor. Fallout For Making Cuomo Governor: HRC Investigation HRC board chair Morgan Cox and HRC Foundation board chair Jodie Patterson announced Monday that the organizations hired law firm Sidley Austin LLP to head an “internal investigation” of David’s actions as stated in the bombshell AG report released a week ago. “Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Alphonso David’s inclusion in the New York State Attorney General’s report on the investigation of Governor Andrew Cuomo is very concerning,” Cox and Patterson said in a statement Monday. “Over the past several days, HRC’s employees, supporters, board members and partners have raised of fighting for equality and justice for all.” The AG report revealed David’s involvement at multiple stages in Cuomo aides’ effort to craft a response meant to discredit the governor’s accusers. According to the report, David provided former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan’s confidential personnel file to officials in Cuomo’s office after Boylan publicly accused Cuomo of sexual harassment in Dec. 2020. Information from the file was leaked to major press outlets shortly afterward in hopes that it would undermine Boylan’s claims. The file David possessed dated back to a 2018 meeting with Boylan when David headed Cuomo’s legal team. He held that position from 2015 until 2019 when he left to take his current position with HRC. David also helped proof and provided feedback on an unpublished letter meant to discredit Boylan’s claims as politically motivated. According to the report, he chose not to sign the letter but later told top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa that he would sign it if needed. All of David’s actions as stated in the AG report occurred while he served as HRC president. Roberta Kaplan, Others Resign News of the HRC investigation comes as fallout from the AG report continues to ripple through multiple organizations and offices mentioned within. DeRosa abruptly resigned from Cuomo’s office Sunday night as the governor remained stubborn in refusing to resign. Time’s Up co-chair Roberta Kaplan, who also provided feedback on the unpublished letter about Boylan, stepped down Monday after the release of an open letter from 40-plus survivors of sexual assault and harassment ridiculing Kaplan and the organization as a whole. “Whether or not you agreed to help, perpetrators of harm felt comfortable reaching out to you for crisis management. That is a problem,” read the letter. “TIME’S UP cannot call for shining a light on sexual harassment and justice while working with our abusers in the shadows.” In a statement to NBC News, Time’s Up responded to the concerns of those that penned the letter: Kaplan, the lawyer who successfully argued for marriage equality at the Supreme Court, represented DeRosa during the AG investigation into Cuomo. Alphonso David Responds “The HRC and Foundation Boards of Directors take these questions very seriously,” the statement continued. “Sidley Austin will report only to and work at the direction of the Boards of Directors in conducting a thorough investigation. The investigation will include consideration of whether Alphonso David’s actions aligned with HRC’s mission and values, as well as with professional and ethics standards.” “We commend the courage of the many survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment who have come forward, and give them our full support,” the statement added. Multiple HRC employees openly called for David’s resignation during an all-staff meeting last week, saying that David’s inclusion in the AG report threatens the HRC as a whole. According to the HRC chairs, David will remain in his position during the investigation and will fully cooperate with investigators. Both boards recently decided to extend his contract with the organization by five years, making the announcement the same day that the AG report was released. David supported the investigation in a company-wide email obtained by The Huffington Post. “It is an important effort to ensure the transparency that I have supported and engaged in with the board and staff since I joined this organization,” David said. Cuomo Governor and HRC: Previously on Towleroad The “Inner Circle” That Kept Andrew Cuomo Governor Faces Scrutiny: HRC Investigates Leader’s Involvement; Roberta Kaplan Resigns From ‘Time’s Up’ Brian Bell August 9, 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 Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More 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 Biden Signs ‘Most Substantive, Wide-Ranging’ LGBTQ Rights Executive Order in U.S. History Andy Towle January 21, 2021 Read More HRC Calls on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Apologize for Ridiculing Gender Pronouns in Series of Tweets Andy Towle December 18, 2020 Read More Homocon Former Trump Official Richard Grenell Calls on Corporations to Boycott Human Rights Campaign After HRC Rips His ‘Shameful’ RNC Speech Towleroad August 27, 2020 Read More Screenshot via YouTube View the full article

U.N. panel told the world global warming dangerously close to out of control, humans to blame. The climate code red says sea rise and other effects are already irreversible, others could take hundreds of years. Weather extremes will only become more severe. We need to kill coal and fossil fuels. Climate Code Red Report Published by Reuters By Nina Chestney and Andrea Januta (Reuters) – The United Nations panel on climate change told the world on Monday that global warming was dangerously close to being out of control – and that humans were “unequivocally” to blame. Already, greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere are high enough to guarantee climate disruption for decades if not centuries, the report from the scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1 warned. In other words, the deadly heat waves, gargantuan hurricanes and other weather extremes that are already happening will only become more severe. Monday alone saw 500,000 acres of forest burning in California, while in Venice tourists waded through ankle-deep water in St Mark’s Square. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described the report as a “code red for humanity”. “The alarm bells are deafening,” he said in a statement. “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet.” In an interview with Reuters, activist Greta Thunberg called on the public and media to put “massive” pressure on governments to act. In three months’ time, the U.N. COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, will try to wring much more ambitious climate action out of the nations of the world, and the money to go with it. Drawing on more than 14,000 scientific studies, the IPCC report gives the most comprehensive and detailed picture yet of how climate change is altering the natural world – and what could still be ahead. Unless immediate, rapid and large-scale action is taken to reduce emissions, the report says, the average global temperature is likely to reach or cross the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming threshold within 20 years. The pledges to cut emissions https://reut.rs/3ywxDyE made so far are nowhere near enough to start reducing level of greenhouse gases – mostly carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels – accumulated in the atmosphere. ‘WAKE-UP CALL’ Governments and campaigners reacted https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-ipcc-reactions-short-idAFL8N2PG1ZW to the findings https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-ipcc-takeaways-idUSKBN2FA0J8 with alarm. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the report would be “a wake-up call for the world to take action now, before we meet in Glasgow”. The report says emissions “unequivocally caused by human activities” have already pushed the average global temperature up 1.1C from its pre-industrial average – and would have raised it 0.5C further without the tempering effect of pollution in the atmosphere. That means that, even as societies move away from fossil fuels, temperatures will be pushed up again by the loss of the airborne pollutants that come with them and currently reflect away some of the sun’s heat. A rise of 1.5C is generally seen as the most that humanity could cope with without suffering widespread economic and social upheaval. The 1.1C warming already recorded has been enough to unleash disastrous weather https://tmsnrt.rs/3wcycMk. This year, heat waves killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest and smashed records around the world. Wildfires fuelled by heat and drought are sweeping away entire towns in the U.S. West, releasing record carbon dioxide emissions from Siberian forests, and driving Greeks to flee their homes by ferry. Further warming could mean that in some places, people could die just from going outside. “The more we push the climate system … the greater the odds we cross thresholds that we can only poorly project,” said IPCC co-author Bob Kopp, a climate scientist at Rutgers University. IRREVERSIBLE Some changes are already “locked in”. Greenland’s sheet of land-ice https://tmsnrt.rs/2Qvivkg is “virtually certain” to continue melting, and raising the sea level, which will continue to rise for centuries to come as the oceans warm and expand. “We are now committed to some aspects of climate change, some of which are irreversible for hundreds to thousands of years,” said IPCC co-author Tamsin Edwards, a climate scientist at King’s College London. “But the more we limit warming, the more we can avoid or slow down those changes.” But even to slow climate change, the report says, the world is running out of time. If emissions are slashed in the next decade, average temperatures could still be up 1.5C by 2040 and possibly 1.6C by 2060 before stabilising. And if, instead the world continues on its the current trajectory, the rise could be 2.0C by 2060 and 2.7C by the century’s end. The Earth has not been that warm since the Pliocene Epoch roughly 3 million years ago – when humanity’s first ancestors were appearing, and the oceans were 25 metres (82 feet) higher than they are today. It could get even worse, if warming triggers feedback loops that release even more climate-warming carbon emissions — such as the melting of Arctic permafrost or the dieback of global forests. Under these high-emissions scenarios, Earth could broil at temperatures 4.4C above the preindustrial average by the last two decades of this century. (Reporting by Nina Chestney in London and Andrea Januta in Guerneville, California; Additional reporting by Jake Spring in Brasilia, Valerie Volcovici in Washington, and Emma Farge in Geneva; Editing by Katy Daigle, Lisa Shumaker, Kevin Liffey and Giles Elgood) Climate Code Red previously on Towleroad Slur, Spin, Or Support? Matt Damon Tells A New ‘F-slur’ Story, ‘Stands With LGBTQ’; What’s Matt Damon Got For Us? (Pick 1) August 6, 2021 Read More 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 Load More View the full article

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