That time Tyra Banks told a model not to be proud about being gay has come back to haunt her

Last week, the internet took a trip down memory lane by looking back at some old clips from America’s Next Top Model, which premiered in 2003 and aired for 24 seasons.

Unfortunately, it’s wasn’t a fun nostalgic trip. It was more of an OMG-I-can’t-believe-this-was-ever-aired-on-television trip.

Many on Twitter pointed out just how terribly the show has aged, particularly the behavior of creator/host Tyra Banks.

Like the time she told a contestant not to be too proud about being gay lest she annoy people with her identity on the red carpet…

Or the time she bullied a contestant for having a gap in her teeth. (Banks later crowned the contestant the winner of the season, but only after she agreed to fix her teeth.)…

Or the time she made a model do a photo shoot in a graveyard the day after her best friend died tragically…

As the clips recirculated, pretty much everyone came to the same conclusion: Tyra Banks was kinda awful.

Eventually, the 46-year-old was forced to issue a statement about her past treatment of aspiring models and how she denigrated those who looked up to her.

“Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you,” she told her 14.4 million followers on Twitter. “Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs.”

Ken Mok, one of the show’s producers, replied to Banks’ tweet, adding: “I look at some of those #ANTM moments and cringe. Just a FYI — the entire creative team made the choices in those shows — not just Tyra. So please feel free to yell at me for some of the worst moments in ANTM history! Apologies to all.”

Meanwhile, Danielle Evans, who was told to fix the gap in her teeth all those years ago, put out her own statement.

In a video posted to Instagram, she said she wanted to “take this time to build up and to speak to all of my young queens that saw that episode that were truly affected by Tyra’s words.”

“You’re beautiful, and I’m not talking about a physical feature,” Evans said. “It doesn’t matter if you have a gap, stacked teeth, straight teeth, it matters not. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, brown, white, indifferent, other, it doesn’t matter. What makes you beautiful is in here.”

Related: Tyra Banks ripped off a ‘Drag Race’ queen and the Internet’s coming for her crown

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Babysitter Slaps Young Boy, Calls Him ‘Gay Ass Bitch’ for Dancing in Viral Video: WATCH

A babysitter who slapped a young boy and called him a “gay ass bitch” in a video that has gone viral on social media will be turning themselves in to police custody, according to the boy’s alleged godmother. In the video clip, which has more than 8.5 million views, the boy is seen participating in a dance challenge with a young girl to Megan Thee Stallion’s track “Savage” for the TikTok social media app.

The babysitter can be heard saying, “You don’t do that sh*t. F***k wrong with you? Gay ass bitch,” to the boy as she slapped him. The boy then holds the side of his face where he was hit.

The boy’s godmother wrote on Twitter: “This is my Godson & the person slapping him is not his mom, this person was supposed to be babysitting. Moms wasn’t aware of what happened until I showed her this. My godson comes from a loving home & whether he’s gay or not we love him regardless.”

“The cops are already involved and his mom is gonna be holding the person accountable,” she added. “We always let him be himself. His mom thought she could trust this person to watch them for 10 mins & this happened. I went to check on him & his mom today & they are doing fine. The person who did this is gonna be turning themselves into police custody tonight.”

The boy and his mother later appeared in another video on Twitter explaining the situation, adding, “Everybody thinks it’s me and everybody was saying all these negative things about me. You know, I’m not worried about none of that. My son is fine, I know he’s good over here. I know he’s being loved right.

pic.twitter.com/KUhGDjOYH3

— EG (@filmovrfood) May 9, 2020

The post Babysitter Slaps Young Boy, Calls Him ‘Gay Ass Bitch’ for Dancing in Viral Video: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Babysitter Slaps Young Boy, Calls Him ‘Gay Ass Bitch’ for Dancing in Viral Video: WATCH

HRC President Alphonso David to Join 2020 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Jericho Brown in Conversation

Today, HRC announced that HRC President Alphonso David will join 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown in conversation. Brown is also a professor and director of the Creative Writing Program at Emory University. The event will be livestreamed at 6:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 13. More information can be found here.

“The arts have played and continue to play a critically important role in bringing people together, providing comfort and inspiration during difficult times, such as the COVID 19 crisis and raising the visibility of the stories that are too often pushed to the margins,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “That is why I’m so honored to speak with poet Jericho Brown. In his powerful and illuminating writing, he moves us closer to the truth and shines a light on the pain, power, resilience and beauty of the Black LGBTQ community. I am grateful for the opportunity to sit down with him, and look forward to what promises to be a deeply impactful conversation.”

Jericho Brown is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection “The Tradition,” which explores humanity’s relationship with terror and the normalization of evil. Previous works include “Please” and “The New Testament,” which explore themes of love, race, violence, masculinity and sexuality. Both works were well-received, with “Please” winning the American Book Award and “The New Testament” winning the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. In describing the tradition he is writing in, Brown has said, “I’m a Black gay Southern poet. I’m writing poems that tell the truth and that encourage someone to be more truthful.”

The event will include a Q&A portion. To submit a question for consideration during the event, please send your question in the form of a video to [email protected] by 12pm EDT on Tuesday, May 12.

HRC President Alphonso David has centered the role of the arts in HRC’s work since taking over as president: for how they can explore painful and necessary truths, in how they can urge people to take action and how they can be part of our queer joy and resistance. Last month, HRC launched HRCares, a virtual care package to provide a moment of joy and comfort to our LGBTQ family. For HRCares, David shared powerful words in a poem, “Some Days,” by James Baldwin. HRC also celebrated Poetry Month in April with a series of blog posts.

For a full list of all of HRC’s efforts and resources during the COVID-19 global health crisis, please visit this link.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-president-alphonso-david-to-join-2020-pulitzer-prize-winning-poet-jeric?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

She can’t stop thinking about her boyfriend’s gay past every time they have sex together

A woman says she has long-known her boyfriend had a gay past. It didn’t used to bother her, but lately it’s all she can think about, so she’s seeking help from advice guru Dear Deidre.

“My partner insists that he is not gay but he has admitted to having had sex with another man before we became a couple,” the woman writes.

She goes on to explain that they’re both in their early 30s now and have been dating for just over a year, though they’ve been friends since their mid 20s.

“Before we got together, he would tell me all about his various sexual escapades, and they were not generally things I would do,” she writes. “He had joined a swingers site to find women for sex and he also had sex with another guy.”

She says this didn’t bother her at the time, but now that they’re officially a couple, it’s an issue.

“He treats me very well, but every time we have sex I can’t help but imagine him having sex with a man,” she writes.

“Just the thought of it makes me feel sick.”

In her response, Deidre informs the woman that “most people are neither entirely gay or entirely straight” and that a lot of people experiment, especially when they’re in their 20s.

“It is not so very unusual to have tried out a same-sex encounter at some point in life,” she writes, adding, “but it doesn’t sound as though you have explored this issue very fully since you got together as a couple.”

Deidre goes on to say that if she wants the relationship to work, she’s going to need to address the issue with her boyfriend so she can better understand it.

“The way he would explain it to a friend is probably quite different from the sort of reassurances he would give a partner,” she says. “Brushing it under the carpet clearly isn’t working for you, so you must raise it with him.”

“But,” she adds, “best not at an intimate moment.”

What advice would you give this woman? Sound off in the comments section below…

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Senate Majority, Kim Petras, Ben Platt, Cher, Princeton, ’60 Minutes’, Jake Picking, Little Richard: HOT LINKS

SENATE MAJORITY. Republicans are worried: “Compounding their anxiety are recent polls showing Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a once-safe incumbent, now trailing his Democratic opponent, Gov. Steve Bullock, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who was also seen as cruising to reelection, in a dead heat with Democrat Theresa Greenfield. Incumbent GOP Sens. Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Martha McSally (Ariz.) are well behind in the polls, while Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are in toss-up races.”

A PLAN. Savage ad contrasts Obama-Biden’s pandemic preparation with Trump-Pence’s.

AHMAUD ARBERY. Georgia attorney general requests federal probe of “black while jogging” murder: “We are committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset,” Attorney General Chris Carr said in a statement. “The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers, and we will work with others in law enforcement at the state and federal level to find those answers.”

JOE BIDEN. Washington Post op-ed slams Trump’s “baldfaced lie” about coronavirus testing: “It’s been more than two months since Trump claimed that ‘anybody that wants a test can get a test.’ It was a baldfaced lie when he said it, and it still isn’t remotely true. If we’re going to have thriving workplaces, restaurants, stores and parks, we need widespread testing. Trump can’t seem to provide it — to say nothing of worker safety protocols, consistent health guidelines or clear federal leadership to coordinate a responsible reopening.”

IVY LEAGUE SCHOLAR. Princeton has first black valedictorian in its 274-year history. “Nicholas Johnson, who was named valedictorian of Princeton’s Class of 2020, called the achievement especially significant, given Princeton’s struggle in recent years, like numerous other prestigious universities, to confront its troubled history with slavery.”

DISHONEST POLITICS. 60 Minutes dumps on Trump’s coronavirus response. “President Trump cut a coronavirus researcher’s funding after unsubstantiated claims that COVID-19 is either manmade or leaked from a Chinese lab.”

RUSSIA. Putin to “reopen” Russia despite spike in coronavirus cases making it fourth highest in world: “The Russian leader emphasised the lifting of restrictions would be gradual and that individual regions in the world’s largest country would need to tailor their approach to varying local conditions. Moscow for example has said it will keep its own lockdown measures in place until May 31.”

JIM PARSONS. Hollywood‘s Henry Willson has gone blonde.

JAKE PICKING. The Hollywood actor once played a shirtless frat bro opposite ac Efron and Robert De Niro.

JAKE GYLLENHAAL. On joining Instagram: “I came to the conclusion that nobody cares about anything any more, so I should join Instagram. Maybe it’s all part of the same thing. Everybody was taking everything a bit too seriously. Maybe I was taking myself a bit too seriously. I’m actually not that serious. I can be, but I actually am a fool. And it’s a great place to be that.”

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my cover issue of @therakishgent is out now! including an interview with yours truly—link in bio big thank you to my friends @tajhayer & @lensaction

A post shared by Michael Yerger (@michaelyerger) on May 6, 2020 at 8:17am PDT

MALE MODEL MONDAY. Michael Yerger, Luca Heubl, Jules Horn, Max Hamilton and more.

TRIBUTE OF THE DAY. Elton John calls Little Richard his biggest influence. “Without a doubt – musically, vocally and visually – he was my biggest influence. Seeing him live in my teens was the most exciting event in my life at that point. Goosebumps, electricity and joy came from every pore.”

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Without a doubt – musically, vocally and visually – he was my biggest influence. Seeing him live in my teens was the most exciting event in my life at that point. Goosebumps, electricity and joy came from every pore. His records still sound fresh and the opening few seconds of “Tutti Frutti” are the most explosive in music history. I was lucky enough to work with him for my “Duets” album in 1993. He was shy and funny and I was SO nervous. The track we recorded “The Power” is a favourite in my catalogue. We also played live at the Beverly Hilton and I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven. He influenced so many and is irreplaceable. A true legend, icon and a force of nature. #RIP Little Richard Love, Elton x #LittleRichard

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on May 9, 2020 at 10:08am PDT

PETE GERACIMO. Adele’s former trainer defends singer’s dramatic weight loss. “My hope is that people appreciate the hard work that Adele has done to improve herself for the benefit to her and her family only. She did not lose the weight to make others feel bad about themselves. This personal transformation has nothing to do with me or you. It’s about Adele and how she wants to live her life. She has not changed from the Adele we grew up with and have loved. There is just a little less of her to go around.”

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As Adele’s former London-based personal trainer, it’s disheartening to read negative commentary and fat-phobic accusations questioning the genuineness of her amazing weight loss. In my personal experience of working with her through many highs and lows, she always marched to the beat of her own drum on her own terms. She never undermined her God-given talent in any way. She let her incredible voice do the talking, or should I say singing! She never once pretended to be something that she wasn’t. What you saw was what you got. And we all LOVED it! When Adele and I started our journey together, it was never about getting super skinny. It was about getting her healthy. Especially post pregnancy and post surgery. When 25 dropped and the tour announced, we had to get ready for a 13 month gruelling schedule. In that time, she warmed to training and made better food choices. As a result, she lost considerable weight and people took notice. Her body transformation was splashed across every media outlet. The attention it generated was mind-blowing. Since she moved to LA, it’s been well documented that she underwent some tough personal changes. It’s only natural that with change comes a new sense of self and wanting to be your best possible version. She embraced better eating habits and committed to her fitness and “is sweating”! I could not be prouder or happier for her! This metamorphosis is not for album sales, publicity or to be a role model. She is doing it for herself and for Angelo. My hope is that people appreciate the hard work that Adele has done to improve herself for the benefit to her and her family only. She did not lose the weight to make others feel bad about themselves. This personal transformation has nothing to do with me or you. It’s about Adele and how she wants to live her life. She has not changed from the Adele we grew up with and have loved. There is just a little less of her to go around. #adele #fabulous #strong #songbird #transformation #powerful #voice #love #rumorhasit #pt

A post shared by Pete Geracimo (@petegeracimo) on May 7, 2020 at 10:14am PDT

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Cher – “Chiquitita” (Spanish Version).

TRAILER OF THE DAY. Control Z. “When a hacker begin to reveal all of the students’ secrets, El Nacional turns into a disaster. If the only way to protect your own secrets was to betray a friend, how far would you go?”

TEASER OF THE DAY. Homecoming, Season 2 featuring Janelle Monae.

MUSIC TRAILER OF THE DAY. Ben Platt Live from Radio City.

NEW TUNE OF THE DAY. Kim Petras “Malibu”.

MONDAY MUSCLE. Fabricio Ternes.

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O corte da quarentena #quarentena #quarentine #quarantinelife

A post shared by F a b r í c i o T e r n e s (@fternes) on Apr 23, 2020 at 3:01pm PDT

The post Senate Majority, Kim Petras, Ben Platt, Cher, Princeton, ’60 Minutes’, Jake Picking, Little Richard: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Senate Majority, Kim Petras, Ben Platt, Cher, Princeton, ’60 Minutes’, Jake Picking, Little Richard: HOT LINKS