Nyle DiMarco Opens Up About His Attraction To Men As He Gears Up For Chippendales Premiere

Nyle DiMarco will grace the cover of the October issue of Attitude magazine. The sexually “fluid” 27-year-old model soon-to-be Chippendales dancer talks about his experience growing up deaf and feeling attracted to both men and women.

“Growing up, I was never afraid to say that a guy was beautiful,” 27-year-old DiMarco says. “Women can say other women are beautiful, so why should it be any different? So, I was never really afraid to say that. I’ve always been that way, whether it’s male or female. You know, if they’re beautiful, they’re beautiful.”

Related: Nyle DiMarco To Join Las Vegas Chippendales

DiMarco also praises the deaf community for being especially open to diversity.

“I’m fortunate, because our [deaf] community is so small, which means that there is more diversity,” he says. “One of my best friends growing up is now a drag queen.”

He continues: “In the deaf community everybody accepts everybody else because that’s who you are, you’re part of that community and that’s our safe space. We’re comfortable with our identity, it’s something I’ve never been embarrassed about.”

Related: Nyle DiMarco Is ‘Very Single’; Wants A Lover With These Three Qualities

The issue hits newsstands next Wednesday, September 14. DiMarco is set to his the Chippendales stage in Las Vegas about a week later, on September 22.

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Manny Pacquiao: “Comparing Gays To Animals Was A Mistake, BUT…”

Why are so many people so bad at saying the words “I’m sorry”? You might remember a few months back when boxer Manny Pacquiao compared gay couples to animals, because animals “know how to distinguish male from female.”

He also approvingly posted a Bible verse to bolster the case that gays should be put to death. Yikes.

Now he’s offered … well, not exactly an apology, but a something. A reporter asked him if he regretted the comments, and he said “Yes, but I’m not changing my position. It’s what the Bible says. But my mistake is just comparing them to animals. I’m just human; nobody’s perfect.”

Nobody’s perfect indeed! In addition to his boxing job, he’s also a senator in the Philippines and says that he might run for president. Ugh.

Obviously the problem here isn’t just that he compared gay people to animals, which really isn’t that terrible (we compare each other to animals all the time). It’s that he wants to hit people over the head with what he believes the Bible orders him to do. For a book that’s supposed to be all about blessing peacemakers, people sure do like to use it as a weapon.

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Tim Kaine Rips Mike Pence’s Praise of Vladimir Putin, Citing LGBT Persecution, Killing of Journalists, Foreign Invasion

In an interview on CBS This Morning Friday, Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine was asked about remarks made by Republican VP nominee Mike Pence about Obama’s leadership.

Said Pence: “I think it’s inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country.”

Kaine blasted the remarks:

“What about invading other countries is leadership? What about running your economy into the ground is leadership? What about persecuting LGBT Russians is leadership? What about setting up journalists and imprisoning them and even killing them is leadership? There is a difference between dictatorship and leadership. And If you didn’t understand that you wouldn’t get out of a fifth grade civics exam if you don’t understand the difference between dictatorship and leadership.”

Added Kaine: “It also demonstrates just an irrational hostility toward President Obama that I just don’t get.”

Watch:

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Manny Pacquiao: I Made a ‘Mistake’ by Comparing Gays to Animals But I Still Believe What it Says in Leviticus

TMZ caught up with pro boxer Manny Pacquiao who was promoting a November 5 fight with Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas, and asked Pacquiao about remarks he made in February calling gay people “worse than animals.”

As we reported:

Pacquiao then doubled down on his bigoted hate speech, posting a passage from the Bible (Leviticus) on Instagram that calls for gays to be put to death. Pacquiao cited the same passage of scripture back in 2012 when he condemned President Obama for supporting marriage equality. That led to Pacquiao being banned from The Grove for the first time. The Grove ultimately removed that ban because they believed he had been misquoted.

Pacquiao’s remarks got him dumped by Nike and banned from The Grove shopping area in L.A.

So, does Pacquiao have any regrets about the remarks, or has he changed his mind?

Said Pacquiao to TMZ: “I’m not changing my position from what the Bible says. My mistake is just comparing [gays] to animals. I’m just human. Nobody’s perfect.”

Watch:

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Indonesian Police Hope to Ban Grindr, Scruff, Adam4Adam and Other Gay Dating Apps

Indonesian police are hoping to ban gay dating apps such as Grindr, Scruff, and Adam4Adam after a pedophilia ring was found to have used gay apps to ‘pimp’ teenage boys.

AFP reports: 

It was the latest move by Indonesian authorities against homosexuals, who have faced a sudden backlash this year, with the government recently declaring there is “no room” in the country for the gay community in response to criticism from activists.

Authorities last week busted an online paedophile ring they said allegedly linked adult men to mostly teenage boys, and arrested three suspects. Police said they discovered Grindr on one of the suspects’ iPads, and believe he had used it to pimp boys.

Police are hoping the communications ministry will ban 18 apps in total.

RELATED: In Indonesia, Homophobes Say the Craziest Things

Previously, Indonesia banned gay emojis from messaging apps in the country.

Muslim activists have been pushing for a gay sex ban in the world’s largest majority Muslim country. A high court may soon rule on the petition put forth by those activists.

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First Openly LGBTQ Contestant to Compete in Miss America

Erin O’Flaherty will make history this Sunday as the first openly LGBTQ Miss America contestant.

“It was really hard. But ultimately I knew I had to do it,” O’Flaherty told USA Today about coming out at age 18. “My family was absolutely nothing but supportive, and I knew that when I decided to come out and when I was ready, it would be that way. So my coming out was actually much easier than millions of people.”

O’Flaherty volunteers with the Trevor Project and is including suicide prevention, an issue that continues to adversely affect LGBTQ youth, as part of her social platform for the competition.

“LGBT youth are actually up to eight times as likely to commit suicide as compared to their straight peers if they come from an unaccepting environment,” she said in an interview with Good Morning America. “So I’m really excited to partner with them and I hope it will be a great year of social change.”

According to a recent CDC survey of high school students, 43 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth seriously considered suicide during the previous 12 months, compared to 15 percent of heterosexual youth. Almost 30 percent had tried to take their own lives, compared to just six percent of heterosexual youth. That’s about three times the risk for considering suicide and more than four times the risk for a suicide attempt.

O’Flaherty, now 23, was crowned Miss Missouri in June.  

“It’s certainly making history and I’m not sure I set out to do that, but I am the first openly gay Miss Missouri and contestant to head to Miss America so I am excited about that. But, mainly, I’m excited to represent the LGBT community,” O’Flaherty told Good Morning America after her win in June.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you’re a young person and need to talk to someone, call The Trevor Project’s 24-hour crisis hotline for youth at 1-866-488-7386.

To learn more about supporting LGBTQ youth in their homes, schools and communities, visit www.hrc.org/youth.

Coming out – whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied – matters. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.

Whether it’s for the first time ever or the first time today, the experience of coming out and living openly covers the full spectrum of human emotion — from fear to euphoria. Coming out — whether it is as LGBTQ or allied — is a deeply personal journey for each individual. Learn more at HRC’s Coming Out Center.

www.hrc.org/blog/first-openly-lgbtq-contestant-to-compete-in-miss-america-pageant?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Tale of Two Campaigns: Kaine to Headline HRC Event While Trump and Pence Court Hate Group

Today, HRC blasted the Trump-Pence campaign for courting anti-LGBTQ activists today and tomorrow at the so-called “Values Voter Summit” in Washington, D.C. In a marked contrast, the same weekend that Trump and Pence will address the gathering of the nation’s top anti-LGBTQ extremists, Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine is set to speak out for equality at the 20th annual HRC National Dinner across town on Saturday evening.

Trump and Pence will spend today and tomorrow morning courting votes from designated hate groups such as the American Family Association and activists organizing to defend North Carolina’s dangerous and vile HB2, which cost the state millions of dollars in economic damage and wrote discrimination into state law. The “Values Voter Summit” also includes promoters of right-to-discriminate laws like the one Pence signed in Indiana, devastating the state’s economy.

“This weekend couldn’t present a more powerful contrast about what’s at stake for the LGBTQ community in this election,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “While Tim Kaine is standing alongside the Human Rights Campaign in support of full equality for LGBTQ people here and across the globe, Donald Trump and Mike Pence will be across town courting support from the most notorious anti-LGBTQ extremists in the nation.”

HRC has also released a “Love Trumps Hate” snapchat filter that will be geo-targeted to the area near the Omni Shoreham, the “Values Voters Summit” host hotel. Trump is slated to speak at about 3 p.m. today and Pence at 11:35 a.m. Saturday.

Last month, on the two-month anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting that took the lives of 49 LGBTQ people and allies, Donald Trump courted anti-LGBTQ activists just 10 miles from the site of the tragedy in Orlando. Donald Trump has embraced an anti-LGBTQ agenda from the start — opposing marriage equality and endorsing laws that threaten the fundamental equality of LGBTQ people in their homes, schools and communities. He further doubled down on his opposition to equality by putting Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on the ticket. Pence became a national disgrace in 2015, for his “license to discriminate” bill that could have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people.

Over the last several months, Donald Trump has only burnished his anti-LGBTQ credentials. Recently, Trump was endorsed by James Dobson, who will also attend “Values Voter Summit” and founded two of the most notorious anti-equality organizations in the nation: Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Dobson linked the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., with “turning our back on God” and the “redefinition” of marriage.” Dobson has said that same-sex marriage is the “fall of Western civilization itself” and was part of a “master plan” for destruction of family. He even suggested marriage equality could lead to a “civil war.” Dobson has called Obama’s transgender student guidelines an effort to “sow chaos” and “impose tyranny.” Trump has also campaigned alongside Tony Perkins — the current leader of the Family Research Council, which sponsors “Values Voter Summit.” Perkins will also be speaking at the Summit.

In addition to Donald Trump’s own vile views and behavior, Trump Campaign CEO Steve Bannon has launched vile smears against transgender people while he worked for Breitbart News. Trump’s new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway is a former pollster for the National Organization for Marriage who once objected to the inclusion of openly LGBTQ people in the media, saying of one television show that featured a lesbian couple that people, “…don’t want their kids looking at a cartoon with a bunch of lesbian mothers.”

www.hrc.org/blog/tale-of-two-campaigns-kaine-to-headline-hrc-event-while-trump-and-pence-cou?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Reviews Of Last Night’s ‘Finding Prince Charming’ Premiere Are In And They Are Predictably Brutal

The gay reality dating show Finding Prince Charming premiered on LogoTV last night and the reviews are about what we expected. Most people hated it. Some people really hated it. And other people really, really hated it.

Kevin Fallon at The Daily Beast called the show a “disaster” and a “snooze,” and wonders “how do you put a dozen gay men in a house together and make it boring?” (He also had some choice words for “Prince Charming” himself, 33-year-old Robert Sepúlveda Jr., who he called the show’s “fatal flaw” due to his “sheer lack of charisma.”)

Related: Logo Execs Claim They Didn’t Know “Gay Bachelor” Was An Escort

Andy Swift at TVLand had a similar response, labeling last night’s episode “pretty uneventful” and criticizing almost all of the guys on the show for being devoid of any redeeming qualities: “Of the 15 men featured in Thursday’s premiere, including Robert and host Lance Bass, approximately four of them have personalities. They all do, however, have a portfolio of immaculately filtered gym/beach selfies.”

Then there was Kevin O’Keeffe at Mic, who may have had the harshest review yet. He called the show “dull, poorly produced and not deserving of anyone’s time or energy” adding it’s “not worth even a hate-watch.” He called Sepúlveda “a dud of a leading man.” And he questioned if the show is really as “historic” or ground-breaking as producers would have you believe, pointing to the incident where one of the bachelors criticizes another for being too feminine and flamboyant. “This is where we are in 2016? A fight about not being ‘masc’ enough?” O’Keeffe asks.

Related: Bachelor On ‘Finding Prince Charming’ Shamed By Other Contestants For Flamboyance

There were also the folks on Twitter, who were slightly more forgiving, but not much. The show was actually briefly trending last night… in large part thanks to Britney Spears, who may or may not have been paid to tweet about it to her nearly 50 million followers. But that didn’t stop the onslaught of catty tweets and memes.

Check out what some folks had to say…

Watching #FindingPrinceCharming like (but no question I will watch every ep) pic.twitter.com/isLhMs8VEz

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 9, 2016

The best part of #FindingPrinceCharming was realizing it’s the same house as Flavor of Love and Charm School.

— Fabian Rivera ™ (@lilboidancer) September 9, 2016

Was watching #FindingPrinceCharming but dropped out when the self-loathing gay on gay bashing started. #ick

— Alec Mapa (@AlecMapa) September 9, 2016

Watching #findingprincecharming and CRINGING

— Danny McCarthy (@dnnymccrthy) September 9, 2016

Can we all go as the cast of #FindingPrinceCharming for Halloween please?

— Emerson Collins (@ActuallyEmerson) September 9, 2016

“Honestly, I’m here for love…” and lots of camera time…in no particular order. #FindingPrinceCharming @LogoTV @VH1

— Tom + Lorenzo® (@tomandlorenzo) September 9, 2016

And then there was this tweet from “Prince Charming” himself…

I’m so happy everyone loved #FindingPrinceCharming ! A lot of people worked very hard to make it happen! ?????????? thx you!

— Robert Sepúlveda Jr. (@RSJdesign) September 9, 2016

What did you think about last night’s premiere? Do you agree with the reviewers, or were they too harsh? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

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Minneapolis Restaurant’s Perfect Response To Yelp Review Calling Clientele “Too Gay”

A popular brunch destination in Minneapolis was quick to respond to an obnoxious review bemoaning the fact that the eatery has “too many gay people” hanging out inside, according to a report by Fox 9.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Transgender Woman Alleges Harassment At Popular Times Square Restaurant, Inaction By Management

Despite the fact that Minneapolis always ranks as one of the top gay-friendly cities in America, one customer was apparently tired of all the homosexuals eating their brunches and slurping mimosas at Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, and decided they’d write up a fiery Yelp review that said as much.

The staff wasted no time confronting the situation head on.

Related: Restaurant Owner Shuts Down Homophobe On Facebook, Gets Huge Boost In Business

“While you’re certainly free to post any comment you want about us,” they write, “we’re equally free to say you cannot enter our home again.”

Here’s the letter in full: 

An open letter to ______, who just reviewed us on Yelp with one phrase: “Too many gay people.”

We’re writing in response to a review you posted on Yelp a few minutes ago. It simply said “too many gay people.”

We ask that you not return to Hell’s Kitchen again. All of us who work here, whether straight or gay, view Hell’s Kitchen as our home; we open our doors each morning and do our best to make every person kind enough to dine with us feel as if it is their home, too. We do our best to make every guest feel welcome, we do our best to create an environment that gives them a chance to enjoy the company of their friends, we do our best to create an environment that is blind to any form of prejudice and we do our best to create an environment that is safe. These aren’t “business goals”….they’re just naturally in the DNA of every one of the 166 members of our Hell’s Kitchen family.

While you’re certainly free to post any comment you want about us, we’re equally free to say you cannot enter our home again.

Sincerely,
Cyn, Pat and the staff at Hell’s Kitchen

And the story has a happy ending, too. According to an “editor’s note” amended to the original story, a family member says the Yelp user has “retracted his comment and has learned the error of his ways.”

Related: These Gathering Spots Show Why San Francisco’s Original Gayborhood Remains Timeless

We don’t doubt the veracity of this particular story, but wouldn’t making up a tale like this be an easy and efficient way to drum up free publicity?

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Church of England Leaders Call on Bishops to Welcome LGBT Members – VIDEO

Prior to a meeting of the College of Bishops next Monday, 131 members of the Church of England’s ruling body – close to one third – have signed a letter urging the bishops to unequivocally welcome lesbian and gay Christians into the church.

At Monday’s meeting, Bishops will discuss what the church should do following two years of internal debate about sexuality. Last week, Nicholas Chamberlain (above) became the first bishop to openly declare he is gay and in a relationship.

Bishop Nicholas Chamberlain is incredibly brave! Good on him for going public! Those decrying him should be ashamed. #LGBT #CofE

— Mathew Hulbert (@HulbertMathew) September 3, 2016

The letter urges bishops to “help lead us forward” and to be “unequivocal in its acknowledgement that all, including those who identify as LGBTI, are essential to the health and future of our church and mission to the wider world”.

RELATED: Church Of England Faces Legal Challenge After Blocking Job Offer To Married Gay Priest

Lay synod member Jayne Ozanne, who helped organize the letter, told The Guardian the response had been overwhelming:

“It definitely seems that the tide is now finally turning. From conversations I have had it would appear that many synod members were deeply challenged and moved by the [internal] discussions in July, and it seems that there is a growing consensus for the church to take active steps towards ensuring it is welcoming and inclusive of all.”

Paul Bayes, the bishop of Liverpool, said “It was especially good to recognize the signatures of synod colleagues from many of the different traditions that make up our richly diverse church.”

Congratulations to Archbishop Justin Welby on appointment of Bishop Nicholas Chamberlain. Tho’ an atheist I want a Church led with courage.

— Michael Cashman (@mcashmanCBE) September 3, 2016

However, last month 72 conservatives warned Bishops against “any proposals that could leave the church ‘adrift from her apostolic inheritance’ and lead to an ‘unwanted fracture’ within the C of E and global Anglican church.”

A church spokesperson said that “deep convictions have been shared and profound differences better understood. That process will inform discussions at the meeting of the college of bishops and further meetings in the months ahead”.

No final decisions are expected to be made at next week’s meeting.

The conservative Anglican group Gafcon has said that appointing Chamberlain as Bishop of Grantham has placed “difficult stresses on a church which is hanging together by the skin of its teeth.”

Watch an interview with Chamberlain below.

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