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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

Da BabyRapper Da Baby dug even deeper in the depths of the homophobic/AIDS phobic hole on Wednesday when he released the video for his new single “Giving What It’s Supposed To Give.” In the video, which Da Baby appears to directly address the derogatory comments he made during his Rolling Loud performance on Sunday about LGBTQ people and People with AIDS. At one point he holds up a sign that simply reads “AIDS” while delivering the line “Bitch, we like AIDS, I’m on your ass, we on your ass, bitch, we won’t go ‘way.” Strangely Da Baby claimed the video was filmed one day before appearing at Rolling Loud and offered no explanation or reason for wanting to clarify that. In the video he explains that his right to say hateful things about LGBTQ people is the same protections and right that queer people claim to be themselves in public. “Don’t fight hate with hate” appears written in rainbow letters followed by “My apologies for being me the same way you want freedom to be you.” The self-directed video had significantly less than the intended impact, and further stoked the controversy, as had his other attempt to defuse the situation on Monday via Instagram. Da Baby’s initial comments Sunday at the show laid a lot down: That Instagram post Monday was a doubling down on those comments, and upping it to define LGBTQ people as deviants. If it’s Tuesday, it must be Twitter. For the second attempt at an act of contrition, Da Baby offered the word “apologies” and not much more. That apology, he clarified was only for those “effected” by AIDS. No such empathy for LGBTQ people. Instead he went on about what would seem to sound like a perception of LGBTQ people as vindictive, well organized and nto supportive of those fighting the abuse and racism in policing. After three days of this stuff, other artists and sponsors began to try to distance distance, publicly rebuke, withdraw support. Clothing brand Boohoo dropped him Wednesday while Elton John’s Tweetstorm used the attention to try to make it a teaching moment to reach others who might have few chances to be exposed to it, explaining why all of the above contributes to “stigma and discrimination.” “Ain’t no way to tangle or twist that. Ain’t no hate in that … If you’re gonna have the Lil Nas X video and living his truth, you’re gonna damn sure have people like Da Baby who’s gonna speak they truth. And it ain’t nothing wrong with any of it. It ain’t got to be no hate. It’s all honesty,” T.I. said. The continued defense of Da Baby’s comments drew GLAAD into the fray Wednesday. “The rhetoric that Da Baby used is inaccurate, hurtful and harmful to the LGBTQ community and the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV,” said GLAAD associate director of communities of color DaShawn Usher said. “It is critical that Da Baby and his fans learn that people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV.” Usher called Da Baby’s apologies “haphazard attempts” and noted that “actions need to be taken for full accountability and changes to do better in the future.” Da Baby: Previously on Towleroad 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 Migos Rapper Offset Puts His Homophobia in the Open: ‘I Cannot Vibe with Queers’ Andy Towle January 18, 2018 Read More Screengrab via Youtube View the full article

Delta variant RisesUpon first inspection, the mutations in the highly contagious delta covid variant don’t look that worrisome. For starters, delta has fewer genetic changes than earlier versions of the coronavirus. “When people saw that the epidemic in India was driven by delta, they did not suspect it would be so bad or overtake other variants,” said Trevor Bedford, an evolutionary biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. But those expectations were wrong. Delta has kept some of the most successful mutations found in earlier variants, but also contains new genetic changes that enable it to spread twice as fast. What’s Your Favorite Delta (Dawn) Variation? Article continues below player. Listen while you read. [This post contains video, click to play] Delta is more dangerous in many ways. It has an incubation period of four days, rather than six, making people contagious sooner. When the pandemic began, people spread the original coronavirus to an average of two or three people. Today, people infected with delta infect six people, on average. As of this week, the delta variant had caused at least 92% of the new infections in the United States, according to covariants.org, a research firm in Bern, Switzerland. Although delta isn’t necessarily any more lethal than other variants, it can kill huge numbers of people simply because it infects so many more, said Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. Scientists have sequenced delta’s mutations but are still trying to understand their significance, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. “When we see the same mutations appearing repeatedly and independently, that suggests they’re important,” Rasmussen said. Scientists have the best understanding of mutations on the so-called spike protein — which sticks out from the surface of the virus like a club — and which have been studied the most intensely because of its serious ramifications, Rasmussen said. The coronavirus uses the spike protein to enter human cells, and changes in the spike can help the virus evade antibodies. Scientists believe one of the most important areas of the spike is the receptor-binding domain, the specific part of the protein that allows the virus to latch onto a receptor on the surface of our cells, said Vaughn Cooper, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. Receptors are like sockets or docking stations that allow proteins to interact with the cell. Once the virus gains entry to the cell, it can cause havoc, hijacking the cell’s genetic machinery and turning it into a virus-making factory. Delta’s Worrisome Mix Delta’s rapid spread is particularly surprising given it lacks two mutations that made earlier variants so scary. Delta doesn’t have the N501Y spike mutation found in the alpha, beta and gamma variants, which enabled them to invade cells more successfully than the original virus. That mutation changed one amino acid — a building block of proteins — in the receptor-binding domain. Delta also lacks the E484K mutation, which has made the gamma variant so worrisome. This genetic change, sometimes called “Eek,” allows the virus to spread even among vaccinated people. (Scientists use the Greek alphabet to name variants of concern.) “The ‘D’ in delta stands for ‘different’ and a ‘detour’ to a different genomic mutation path,” Topol said. “But it doesn’t mean ‘doom,’” he said, noting that existing covid vaccines remain mostly effective against the delta variant. Vaccines protect people from covid by providing them with antibodies that attach themselves to the spike protein, preventing the virus from entering cells. By dramatically reducing the number of viruses that enter cells, vaccines can prevent people from developing severe disease and make them less infectious to others. Delta does share mutations with other successful variants. Like all the identified variants in circulation, delta contains a spike mutation called D614G, sometimes known as “Doug,” which became ubiquitous last year. Scientists think Doug increases the density of spike protein on the surface of viral particles and makes it easier for the virus to enter cells. Delta also has a spike mutation called P681R, which closely resembles a mutation in the alpha variant that appears to produce higher viral loads in patients, Cooper said. People infected with delta have 1,000 times more virus in their respiratory tract, making them more likely to spread the virus when they sneeze, cough or talk. The P681R mutation, also found in the kappa variant, is located at the beginning of a part of the genome called the furin cleavage site, Cooper said. Furin is a naturally occurring human enzyme that gets hijacked by the coronavirus, which uses it to slice the spike protein into the optimal shape for entering the cell, Rasmussen said. The new mutation makes that sculpting more efficient, Rasmussen said. Another delta mutation — also found in kappa and epsilon — is called L452R. Experiments suggest this mutation, which also affects the receptor-binding domain, acts to prevent antibodies from neutralizing the virus, Cooper said. These mutations appear to be more formidable as a team than alone. The genetic changes “are certainly doing something, but why that combination makes the delta variant more fit is not entirely obvious,” Bedford said. “Putting them together seems to matter.” Delta also has developed genetic changes not seen in other variants. One such spike mutation is called D950N. “This might be unique,” Cooper said. “We don’t see that anywhere else.” The D950N mutation is different than other mutations because it’s located outside the receptor-binding domain in an area of the coronavirus genome that helps the virus fuse with human cells, Cooper said. Fusing with human cells allows the coronavirus to dump its genetic material into those cells. This mutation could affect which types of cells the virus infects, potentially allowing it to harm different organs and tissues. Mutations in this region are also associated with higher viral loads, Cooper said. Delta also contains mutations in a part of the spike protein called the N-terminal domain, which provides a “supersite” for antibodies to latch onto the virus and prevent it from entering cells, said Dr. Hana Akselrod, an infectious diseases specialist at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Mutations in this region make monoclonal antibodies less effective in treating covid and increases the delta variant’s ability to escape vaccine-generated antibodies, Akselrod said. That may explain why vaccinated people are slightly more likely to become infected with delta, causing mostly mild illness but allowing them to transmit the virus. Delta’s Future Course Scientists say it’s impossible to predict exactly how delta will behave in the future, although Topol said, “It’s going to get worse.” Topol noted that delta outbreaks tend to last 10 to 12 weeks, as the virus “burns through” susceptible populations. If the United States continues to follow a pattern seen in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, infections could rise from the current seven-day moving average of 42,000 cases to 250,000 a day. Yet Topol said the United States is unlikely to suffer the high death rates seen in India, Tunisia and Indonesia because nearly half the population here is fully vaccinated. While some studies have concluded that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stimulates strong and persistent antibodies against delta, a new report found that antibodies elicited by one shot may not be enough to neutralize delta. Authors of that study, from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, suggested a second dose may be needed. Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine protect 94% of people from any symptomatic infection by the alpha variant, compared with 88% against the delta variant, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine protect 75% of people from alpha and 67% from delta. Cooper said covid vaccines offer remarkably good protection. “I will always celebrate these vaccines as the scientific achievements of my lifetime,” he said. The best way to slow down the evolution of variants is to share vaccines with the world, vaccinating as many people as possible, Bedford said. Because viruses undergo genetic changes only when they spread from one host to another, stopping transmission denies them a chance to mutate. Whether the coronavirus evolves more deadly variants “is totally in our hands,” Cooper said. “If the number of infections remains high, it’s going to continue to evolve.” By failing to contain the virus through vaccination, wearing masks and avoiding crowds, people are allowing the coronavirus to morph into increasingly dangerous forms, said Dr. William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School professor who helped design treatments for HIV/AIDS. “It’s getting better, and we’re making it better,” he said. “Having half the population vaccinated and half unvaccinated and unprotected — that is the exact experiment I would design if I were a devil and trying to design a vaccine-busting virus.” Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing. Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News July 28, 2021 Delta Variant Previously on Towleroad California Sues Gaming Giant for ‘Frat Boy’ Culture: Unwanted Advances, Junk Grab ‘Gay Chicken’ Game, and ‘The Cosby Suite’; Activision Blizzard Employees Walkout July 28, 2021 Read More West Hollywood Ed Buck Convicted in Drug Overdose Deaths of Black Gay Men; Faces Minimum 40 Years in Prison July 28, 2021 Read More Rapper Dababy Delivers Homophobic, Anti-AIDS Interlude at Rolling Loud, Doubles Down on Comments; T.I. Comes to His Defense July 27, 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 July 27, 2021 Read More ‘Hot Summer’ and Podcast Drop to Promote 1st Album from the Prince Vault,’Welcome 2 America,’ ‘a laser-focused assault on the condition of America;’ July 27, 2021 Read More Record Crowd For Budapest Pride; Attendees Protest Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Anti-LGBTQ Laws July 26, 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? July 26, 2021 Read More Marc Jacobs Photo Of His Post-Lift Bandaged Head Is Almost Super Chic; Designer Tells of Extensive Work Remaking Body Inside and Out. July 26, 2021 Read More Load More Images of Covid by CDC and Photo of City by Josh Couch on Unsplash View the full article

Activision Blizzard’s presence at a recent trade show.Video Game Maker Activision Blizzard initially put out a belligerent response to a suit by the state of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing alleging pervasive harassment and discrimination of employees, a “frat boy” culture so outrageous that one longtime developer’s suite at a regular company event was referred to as “The Cosby Suite.” Employees walked out today in protest of the culture and the company’s response. While the Company tried to walk back its initial statement in favor of a more standard PR crisis templated one, the employees won support of peers at competitive major studios and World of Warcraft players organized an in-game protest in solidarity. For those who would rather avoid reading the details of sexual harassment or suicide, this post does include some of both. A Catalog of Offensive, Illegal incidents The lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard last week came after a two-year investigation by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The suit lays out an extensive list of violations made by the company, ranging from vast discrepancies in pay, promotions and termination rates along gender and racial lines. “Female employees… fend off unwanted sexual comments and advances by their male co-workers and supervisors and being groped at the ‘cube crawls'” California Filing against Activision BlizzardThe California DFEH filing also described Activision Blizzard as a “breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women.” The suit highlights a practice called “cube crawls” where male employees drank “copious [amounts] of alcohol” while moving among office cubicles and engaging in “inappropriate behavior toward female employees.” “Female employees are subjected to constant sexual harassment, including having to continually fend off unwanted sexual comments and advances by their male co-workers and supervisors and being groped at the “cube crawls” and other company events,” reads the filing. “High-ranking executives and creators engaged in blatant sexual harassment without repercussions.” “To claim this is a ‘truly meritless and irresponsible lawsuit,’ while seeing so many current and former employees speak out about their own experiences regarding harassment and abuse, is simply unacceptable,” the letter continues. In the walkout’s announcement, current and former Activision Blizzard employees issued four demands of the company “to improve conditions for employees at the company, especially women, and in particular women of color and transgender women, nonbinary people and other marginalized groups.” An end to mandatory arbitration clauses in all employee contracts, current and futureThe adoption of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and promotion policies designed to improve representation among employees at all levels, agreed upon by employees in a company-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion organization.Publication of data on relative compensation (including equity grants and profit sharing), promotion rates, and salary ranges for employees of all genders and ethnicities at the company.Empower a company-wide Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion task force to hire a third party to audit ABK’s reporting structure, HR department, and executive staff.“To claim this is a ‘truly meritless and irresponsible lawsuit’ … is simply unacceptable.” Open Letter from Activision Blizzard EmployeesActivision Blizzard responded to the walkout by offering employees that do walkout paid time off, though it is unknown if the offer is separate from employees’ regularly allotted PTO. #ActiBlizzWalkout trended on Twitter Wednesday, and fellow game developers and Twitch streamers have offered support by making charitable donations to organizations tied to the walkout, including Black Girls Code and RAINN, and boycotting the purchase and streaming of Activision Blizzard games. Industry Context: Similar Allegations The Activision Blizzard allegations are the latest in a trend of similar allegations emerging from other major game studios, including “League of Legends” developer Riot Games and “Assassin’s Creed” developer Ubisoft. An open letter from nearly 500 Ubisoft employees expressed solidarity with Activision Blizzard employees that walked out Wednesday, casting an eye on similar allegations against their own employer. “It is clear, from the frequency of these reports, that there is a widespread and deeply ingrained culture of abusive behaviour within the industry. It should no longer be a surprise to anyone: employees, executives, journalists, or fans that these heinous acts are going on,” read the Ubisoft employees’ letter. “It is time to stop being shocked. We must demand real steps be taken to prevent them. Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.” Some games news sites have also paused their coverage and streaming of Activision Blizzard titles as well. “It is clear, from the frequency of these reports, that there is a widespread and deeply ingrained culture of abusive behaviour within the industry.” Open letter from 500 Ubisoft Employees in solidarity with the Activision Blizzard employee walkoutActivision Blizzard: Previously on Towleroad Employees Walkout as California Sues Game Giant Activision Blizzard for ‘frat boy’ Culture Hostile To Women, LGBTQ, BIPOC Brian Bell July 28, 2021 Read More E3 News 2021 is Gayer Gaming: Romance ‘Boyfriend Dungeon’; Kiss Nonbinary ‘Frogsong’; ‘Just Dance’ with Todrick Hall, And More Brian Bell June 20, 2021 Read More Pride Month Video Games Roundup: Queer Games Bundle; GaymerX; Queer Women of Esports; Xbox; Riot Games Brian Bell June 7, 2021 Read More Powerful Trans Representative Video Game Tell Me Why Available for Free During Pride Month Brian Bell June 1, 2021 Read More Report: Popular Video Game Valorant Rumored to be Adding LGBTQ Pride Items in June Brian Bell April 27, 2021 Read More Twitch streamer’s petition challenges Electronic Arts to add inclusive pronouns to The Sims 4 Brian Bell April 16, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Dinosaur918/Creative Commons View the full article

Ed BuckEd Buck, once known as a prominent Democractic donor, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a federal grand jury convicted him Tuesday on multiple counts of supplying methamphetamine to two Black men, Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean, that killed them. The verdict came after just four hours of deliberations. Buck was found guilty on nine charges in total, including two counts of supplying meth that resulted in death, maintaining a drug den at his former West Hollyood residence and enticement to cross state lines to engage in prostitution. Tuesday’s result ends a years-long legal saga for Buck’s accusers. The former Democratic activist was initially arrested in September 2019 after a man whom Buck injected with meth overdosed but was able to escape Buck’s apartment went to authorities. The subsequent search of Buck’s home revealed horrific details of Buck’s sexual predation, including hundreds of photos of men in compromising positions. The family of Gemmel Moore, Buck’s first victim who died in 2017, had been pushing the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate Buck for years prior to his arrest. In an interview with The Guardian, LaTisha Nixon, Moore’s mother, said “I’m a grieving mother, but they treated us like criminals. I haven’t been able to recover. … I didn’t ask for nothing special. I just wanted [Lacey] to do her job. We had our proof. We gave her all of the evidence. I don’t know if she ignored it because it was black gay men, or because it was gay men, period. I got the runaround.” Timothy Dean, Buck’s second victim, died just eight months prior to Buck’s arrest. “I wanted everybody to know what this man did to my child, so he couldn’t hurt anyone else’s kid or family member. I had to say something. Timothy Dean’s death could’ve been prevented if they had listened to us. But they didn’t,” Nixon added. Prosecutors used video taken by Buck during his “party and play” arrangements and the testimony of multiple Black male victims to fully display Buck’s predatory and deadly practices. According to the Los Angeles Blade, Buck solicited men on Grindr and Adam4Adam and would pressure or incentivize them into letting him personally inject them with meth, sometimes multiple times. Buck would also administer injections without consent, sometimes injecting men with drugs and touching them sexually while they were unconscious. I wanted everybody to know what this man did to my child so he couldn’t hurt anyone else’s kid or family member LaTisha Nixon, Gemmel Moore’s MotherBuck also would call his Black victims racial slurs while committing his predatory acts. Many of the men Buck preyed on were drug addicts and/or homeless and working as escorts to earn a living. According to the Los Angeles Times, The families of Moore and Dean applauded the verdict. Cory McLean, a close friend of Moore’s, celebrated while holding an urn containing Moore’s ashes. “Thank you, God,” McLean exclaimed as she exited the federal courthouse. Buck’s defense attorneys, Christopher Darden and Ludlow Creary, were criticized by prosecutors for focusing their defense strategies solely on discrediting Buck’s victims in what Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Norell described as “despicable victim shaming.” Darden claimed the victims manipulated and used Buck for financial gain, attempting to villainize them simply for being sex workers and/or drug abusers. In one exchange, Darden even asked one victim “did you inject or smoke any meth prior to coming to testify” while he was on the witness stand. Buck faces a minimum of 20 years in prison for each charge of supplying meth that resulted in death. Ed Buck: Previously on Towleroad West Hollywood Fixture Ed Buck Convicted in Drug Overdose Deaths of Black Gay Men; Faces Minimum 40 Years in Prison Brian Bell July 28, 2021 Read More Grand Jury Hits Serial Predator Ed Buck with 4 Additional Felonies in Drug Den Death Cases Andy Towle August 5, 2020 Read More Ed Buck Indicted by Federal Grand Jury in Two Drug Overdose Deaths, Faces Decades in Prison Andy Towle October 3, 2019 Read More Meth Predator Ed Buck Evicted from Apartment as Victim’s Mother Speaks Out About Police Negligence: ‘It Was Black Gay Men … I Got the Runaround’ Andy Towle September 26, 2019 Read More Prominent Democratic Donor Ed Buck Arrested, Charged with Running Meth Drug Den After Third Man Overdoses at His Home: WATCH Andy Towle September 18, 2019 Read More ‘parTy boi’ Director Micheal Rice Talks About Ed Buck And Meth In The Black Gay Community: WATCH Savas Abadsidis January 14, 2019 Read More View the full article