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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

Jack Whitehall (right) as McGregor HoughtonIt has only been a few months since Disney heralded its “first LGBTQ character” for the umpteenth time, but it’s upcoming film “Jungle Cruise” is drawing the familiar mix of praise and ire that accompanies any Disney announcement related to the portrayal of LGBTQ identities. “Jungle Cruise” is the latest in Disney’s attempts to convert long-running attractions of its theme parks to the silver screen. But the Disneyland-turned-Hollywood spectacle also packs in a “coming-out” scene for character McGregor Houghton, played by actor Jack Whitehall. In an interview with Variety, actor Jack Whitehall spoke about the scene’s inclusion, calling it a “really well-written scene” that was “certainly thought about and talked about” during the film’s production. He also indicated that he didn’t know McGregor was written as a gay character during the auditioning process. Much like Whitehall’s early knowledge of his character, the coming-out scene drew criticism because, as Disney tends to do, doesn’t explicitly express itself as LGBTQ. In the scene, McGregor shares a moment with boat captain Frank Wolff, played by The Rock, where he divulges that he broke off three engagements with women because his “interests happily lay elsewhere.” McGregor also praises his sister, Lily, played by Emily Blunt, for standing by him as others turned away from him over who he “loved.” The scene ends with Frank toasting to “elsewhere,” offering support to McGregor. “The scene’s innuendo makes it easy to overlook by anyone not paying close attention, or by youth who are too young to understand the reference,” Jeremy Blacklow, GLAAd director of entertainment mediaThe word “gay” or any other term that may have been used to refer to gay men in the 1920s, when the film is set, is not present throughout the whole exchange. Similar to scenes in “Toy Story 4,” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Cruella,” McGregor’s LGBTQ identity is left vague and fleeting. His queerness never comes up again in the film beyond this scene, and the openness of the scene leaves it open to multiple interpretations without direct language. “The scene’s innuendo makes it easy to overlook by anyone not paying close attention, or by youth who are too young to understand the reference,” said Jeremy Blacklow, GLAAD director of entertainment media. Critics have also pointed out that keeping the scene vague also provides Disney with an out when the film screens in nations that discriminate and/or criminalize LGBTQ communities. “When they’re not brokering in stereotypes, this feels like Disney once again trying to win points and push back against criticism of its failures where LGBTQ+ characters are concerned – while doing the least amount possible,” wrote The Mary Sue’s Kaila Hale-Stern. News of the scene’s existence has also drew praise, including from Blacklow, who called the scene a “heartwarming exchange” and “a powerful addition to a big-budget film that will reach audiences around the world.” Whitehall himself celebrated the scene. “I hope that it’s a scene that audiences enjoy and I certainly felt at the time that I was proud of the work that we’d done,” said Whitehall. Jungle Cruise: Previously on Towleroad The Upcoming ‘Jungle Cruise’ Includes A ‘Coming Out’–Another LGBTQ Flirt That Young Viewers Won’t Notice. Disney’s ‘Interests Lay Elsewhere’ Brian Bell July 30, 2021 Read More ‘Luca’ Star Jack Dylan Grazer Silences His Own ‘Bruno,’ Comes Out as Bisexual Brian Bell July 8, 2021 Read More Dove Cameron: Surprised by Reactions To Coming Out. ‘I thought people wouldn’t believe me if I came out as queer’ Towleroad May 30, 2021 Read More High School Musical Star Chooses ‘Love’ in Heartwarming Post After Coming Out Video; ‘Love Who You Love Shamelessly’ Brian Bell May 11, 2021 Read More Stranger Things 4; Lil Nas X; Rainbow Capitalism; Apex Legends; Will Smith’s Dad Bod; Arm Wrestling; Edith Surreal; Adele; EFFY: HOT LINKS Brian Bell May 6, 2021 Read More Oscars 2021 Quick Guide: What To Watch and Where To Stream Nominees Before The Show Sunday Night Nathaniel Rogers April 21, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Disney View the full article

It was beginning to feel like this week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars was a second straight week of weak challenges, unremarkable performances and the ongoing torment of Jan. However, the final act dropped a delicious little twist for just the right amount of drama. In a bit of Chekhov’s lipstick, the editors expertly included a brief scene a few weeks back when the queens wondered aloud what would happen if there was a tie vote? This week gave us the (sort of disappointing) answer, but it was still a much-needed jolt of excitement on an episode that was otherwise sorely lacking. Let’s go back to the start. A quick count of the lipsticks reveals a unanimous decision to eliminate A’Keriah, and it gives Ra’Jah a bit of reassurances the other girls still think she belongs. She feels even better when Jan (of course, it’s Jan) points out that everyone but Pandora and Eureka have won a challenge. Pandora’s journey is front and center this episode. After a solid start to the Race, the time has passed for Pandie to make an impression. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be an easy week for her. Ru’s task this week is to split into two groups to perform original choreography and a rap verse to “Show Up Queen,” the sonic equivalent of a crumpled up napkin Beyoncé left at an actual Sonic drive-thru. It’s an almost comically unlistenable … song? … but what’s worse is that it comes with the directive to infuse the song with “inspirational” lyrics. The writing, recording and rehearsal process is snooze-worthy. Pandora predictably struggles with choreo, but Jan struggles with the content of her lyrics — a much bigger sin in Mama Ru’s eyes. I guess it bears a bit more elucidation on The Jan Problem, since her ongoing storyline keeps circling around this inability to be authentic. The common retort is she is just “authentically” like that, so everyone should stop expecting her to suddenly change her personality to fit Ru’s moral code. I get that. Maybe authentic is the wrong word. However, there’s an ease the best performers have that usually only comes from someone at their realest, purest, more “authentic” self. Audiences want to relinquish control, and the best performers can — with a joke or just a confident look — tell the audience, “I got you.” Jan has the immense talent to do absolutely anything she sets her mind to. The problem is you can always see her focus on the achievement, on the talent. It’s difficult for the audience to relax into her performance. That’s certainly the problem in this number. Again, the song is … well, it’s no “Read U Wrote U,” let’s say that. Jan starts the show with a verse about how she’s happy and she knows it (*clap*clap*), and she does some vocal acrobatics that is more impressive than it is nice sounding. I’m sure it is very physically impressive to hit that note, and I am, without a doubt, certain she is performing it flawlessly, but you cannot, in good faith, tell me it sounds good. It doesn’t! Could there be a better representation of Jan’s Janness? Pandora’s troubles follow her onto the mainstage as well. The content of her verse is thin. She attempts to recapture the spastic magic of her week one performance, but it feels out of place and wastes large swaths of Pandora’s small slice of time in the spotlight. Looking to bounce back from last week’s bottom placement, Ra’Jah comes fully correct with a well-worded, adequately inspirational verse delivered with magnetic attitude. When Ra’Jah shines, she really sparkles, and it’s a blast watching her. And then there’s Trinity. Girl. Like the strange (but ultimately charming) Super Bowl challenge, Trinity performs on an entirely different level. Maybe it’s the track’s budget Beyoncé vibes, but this is all TKB. Even when she’s not being featured, it’s hard to look away. Her lyrics have outstanding energy, a strong message and she delivers them while executing the same Samurai sword sharp choreo we’ve come to expect. Eureka, whose “no wins yet” story really went nowhere, turns in a solid lip sync with strong lyrics about body confidence. Ginger talks about her size and bullying as a kid, but does it with a bit more performance and wittier lyrics. It’s a shame she looks like she’s in Halloween drag. After a few early sleepy weeks, Kylie continues to rise. Out of all the dolls, she’s the most likely to be the Ginger Spice here. By that I mean she would unquestionably be the coolest, most popular and most adored by the gays. Her outfit is three times better than the next best-dressed queen during the performance. The hair, the boots, the skirt, everything. Her lyrics are fine, but like Geri, who gives a zigazig-ah what she’s saying when she looks that good! Everyone turns it out for a Hot Tropics themed runway, and the judges along with RuPaul gown designer Zaldy, give mostly positive critiques across the board. Of course, Trinity gets the win. I don’t think it even matters, but her runway is also easily the best of the bunch, by far. As telegraphed, Pandora’s dancing and Jan’s intensity place them both in the bottom. Ru says Jan’s performance lacked “soul,” which is up there with Scarlet’s “uncomfortable” savagery a couple weeks ago. Deliberations backstage are more of the same. “It’s not my time!” etc., etc. It all starts to feel very rote. Our lip sync assassin this week is Alexis Mateo, and it’s to none other than Jennifer freakin’ Lopez. Trinity and Alexis look ready to turn it up, but when they both go into a little Salsa dancing, it’s clear Alexis has the edge. Ru agrees. Alexis pulls out Pandora’s lip stick, and it appears Jan lives to pep another day. Not so fast! Alexis has a SECOND LIPSTICK. That’s right. A quick flashback reveals the vote is split, it’s a tie. That’s three votes Jan, three votes Pan. Ru announces that All Stars rules dictate the decision now reverts to the challenge winner, TKB. She picks Jan’s lipstick, ending the Jantasy once and for all. (Or not. Who knows what this game within a game entails?) We’re close to the midpoint now, so I imagine we’ll see what Ru’s grand twist will be after next week’s Snatch Game. It’s a challenge that could really rearrange the board. Based on previous Snatches, Ginger and Pandora come in with a lot of pressure on their shoulders, while Kylie should be afraid, very afraid. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here’s where we’re at for now: Any doubt has been erased, now that Trinity is the first queen to snag two wins. She’s our clear frontrunner, and with good reason. She stole the show in two big group numbers, won a comedic acting challenge, and slays every runway. Her Carnival look was outstanding, but never outshined the wearer. I’ll even forgive that wig slip during the lip sync, but you only get this one, TKB.Ginger has got to be joining Trinity in the final four. The judges are really nitpicking now, because Ginger is on point whenever she’s onstage. She did look a fright during the challenge, but everyone looked kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t a fashion challenge. How many pictures of the Pussycat Dolls are in those listicles about terrible early-aughts fashion anyway?Eureka is almost so good, you forget. She’s so professional, so polished, she always understands the assignment. You want inspiration? Bam. Big, broad comedy? You got it. Rhinestone the house down boots eleganza? Mama, you know she got it. She even packed a reveal and stunts into like 15 seconds of spotlight. Of everyone here, Eureka needs this win the least. She’s got a great gig with We’re Here, and she’s got the goods to book ballrooms for years to come. All Stars is ultimately a show about redemption, not supremacy. It’s an opportunity for viewers to see a wrong righted. Karmic justice and success seem to have found Eureka already, and maybe that’s what makes her harder to root for. Still, take nothing away from the Elephant Queen. Barring a major mishap, I still think she’s a lock for the finals.This is where things get interesting. While the top three feel fairly certain at this point, the fourth position is a neck-and-neck race between Ra’Jah and Kylie. Ra’jah came out of the gate more strongly and has maintained a much more steady presence with commentary. On looks, both queens turn it out on every runway, but Ra’jah’s personality pops a bit more (at least in the edit we get to see). Snatch Game is going to be very important for Ra’Jah and Kylie. This week, I thought Ra’jah could’ve been worthy of the win. She was an absolute vision on the runway.I did not expect Kylie to blossom the way she has these last few weeks. Last week’s win felt a little odd, considering how heavy a hand the directors had, but some acknowledgement for Kylie was feeling overdue. I thought her Steven Tyler was woefully overlooked, and, while I’m not typically a fan of so much body-ody-ody all the time, she always brings a little high-fashion point of view to even her skimpiest of attires. I’m not sold on the idea of Kylie taking the crown, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see her secure a spot in the finals.It’s very possible for Pandora to bounce back in a big way with Snatch Game. The question is whether she can shake the hit to her confidence this week. Pandora reacted in the worst way possible when confronting a task you truly dread: She leaned all the way in and suffered through the whole thing. And it showed. If you watch Pandora’s face during the actual number, she looks like a kidnap victim. It was all over her face. Even when she walked the runway in that (admittedly gorge) vintage jetset getup, it felt like she was fighting back tears. Luckily, Snatch is in her wheelhouse. I just hope she doesn’t go back to the Carol Channing well again.I really think tonight’s runway is my favorite Jan has ever, EVER looked on Drag Race. I usually find her outfits to feel very “trying to be editorial,” but there was something lovingly cheap and trashy about the Jersey Shore drag she wore. It was fun! There was an ease to it! From the minute Jan started rapping, I knew it was curtains for her. The lyrics were the opposite of inspirational. They made me want to never leave the house again. It was just so clearly far from not only what the judges were looking for this week, but also what they have been asking specifically from her this whole time. It’s a blindspot, for sure. Still, there is no denying Jan’s ability, her dedication and her pep-pep-pep. She may not be right to win a popular TV competition with a very vocal fanbase, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the chops that even an anti-pep curmudgeon like me can appreciate.How would you rank the queens? Catch up with all our RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars coverage. View the full article