'Tough Love' Launches Final Episode, Turns To Kickstarter To Save It

'Tough Love' Launches Final Episode, Turns To Kickstarter To Save It
One of our favorite queer web series of 2014 may soon meet its end, unless it can raise the funds to keep us cracking up for another season.

Popular YouTube web series “Tough Love” took the model of two best friends living in New York City and made them gay — putting a twist what it’s like to be young, broke, queer and trying to make it in the Big Apple today.

Stars Steven Bell and Blaire Wendel are now engaged in a Kickstarter campaign in order to keep bringing us “Tough Love,” and the pair are only eight days away from the campaign’s end.

In conjunction with the Kickstarter, “Tough Love” has released what could potentially be their final episode — unless the funding comes through. Called “The Sleepover,” it focuses on the dyanmics of gay men and straight women, as well as the crumbling relationship of Wendel’s character.

“I think the inspiration for this episode came from my early days of discovering I was gay,” Bell told The Huffington Post. “There was a period where I knew I was gay, but I told myself that I couldn’t be 100 percent sure unless I had been with a woman. I’ve had a few female friends who would have been totally down to ‘experiment’ with me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Women have never interested me sexually. There’s just nothing there. So, it was really exciting to write an episode where I got to explore all that.”

Head here to find out how you can help save “Tough Love” and here to see more episodes from the series.

Bell wants to give special thanks to Eternal Summers and Terrorbird Media for letting his team use their song “I Love You.” Check out Eternal Summers out here.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/tough-love-kickstarter_n_5862260.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Philly Attack Is Important Reminder of Need for Updated State Hate Crime Laws

Philly Attack Is Important Reminder of Need for Updated State Hate Crime Laws

An attack on two gay men in Philadelphia highlights the need for laws protecting LGBT people from crimes motivated by hatred not only in Pennsylvania, but at the state level across the country.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/philly-attack-is-important-reminder-of-need-for-updated-state-hate-crime-la?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Gay Club Promoters Sexualize Terrorist Group ISIS In Deeply Disturbing New Ads

Gay Club Promoters Sexualize Terrorist Group ISIS In Deeply Disturbing New Ads

Dreck-IsisWe just threw up in our mouths a little.

Drek, a gay club based in Tel Aviv, has begun circulating publicity pictures that sexualize the beheadings of James Foley, David Haines and Steven Sotloff to promote their latest circuit party. Because nothing’s sexier than a homoerotic reinterpretation of the brutal murders of three innocent civilians.

One of the images shows a half-naked man in a desert kneeling in the sand with a black-clad man looming over him with his hand on his shoulder. The poster features the “black flag” of Isis in the top left hand corner and text running below in the style of Isis’ grisly propaganda videos.

A second image shows a topless man flying a black flag symbolic of Islamist extremism.

Adding further insult to injury, the word Drek, Ynet reports, is Hebrew for “stubborn” but can also mean “hard-necked.”

The images were posted to the club’s Facebook page — where one of them can still be seen, despite public outcry.

Amiri Kalman, co-founder of Drek, said the group was merely “reacting to current events.”

“This is satire,” he added, “and our way of showing our contempt of them and their videos.”

But not everyone found the images satirical.

“Disgusting!” one commenter wrote. “Getting a laugh off of the murder of innocent victims.”

As New York Magazine pointed out, it’s worth noting that “Drek” is also Yiddish for “trash.”

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/jgUW7yrHYnU/gay-club-promoters-sexualize-terrorist-group-isis-in-deeply-disturbing-new-ads-20140922

SCOTUS Justice Elena Kagan Officiates Her First Gay Wedding

SCOTUS Justice Elena Kagan Officiates Her First Gay Wedding

KaganAt a Maryland ceremony for her former law clerk and his husband, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan officiated a gay wedding for the very first time, the AP reports:

Kagan presided on Sunday over the wedding of former clerk Mitchell Reich and Patrick Pearsall in the Washington suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Monday that the same-sex ceremony was the first at which Kagan officiated.

Both retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and current Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have officiated at gay weddings in the past. 


Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/09/scotus-justice-elena-kagan-officiates-her-first-gay-wedding.html

Take A Peek Under The Tent & Meet The Cast Of 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'

Take A Peek Under The Tent & Meet The Cast Of 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'
The freak show is getting nearer, and we finally have a good look at its wild cast of characters.

In new cast photos for “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” we meet Jessica Lange’s character, Elsa Mars, and her troupe of freaks, along with a handful of others. The only characters missing from this new set of photos are Gabourey Sidibe and Patti LaBelle, the terrifying Twisty the Clown and, of course, Pepper. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, freaks of all shapes and sizes — welcome to the freak show:

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” premieres Oct. 8 at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/ahs-freak-show-cast_n_5860786.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices