Golden Globe Winning Actress Lady Gaga To Play Donatella Versace

“Called it!” yelled every gay dude today when news broke that Golden Globe award winning actress Stephanie Johann Angelique Germanotta would be playing noted Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace.

Us Weekly’s shadowy, mysterious sources confirmed the casting this afternoon. Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, will play the late Gianni Versace’s sister and the heir to his fashion empire in the third season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series American Crime Story, which will focus on the designer’s 1997 murder at the hands of gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan.

The casting comes as little surprise, despite tough competition for the role. Murphy had previously hinted that Gaga would be perfect for the role. Also, this:

So, just to recap: Lady Gaga will be vamping it up as a cartoonish fashion personality in a Ryan Murphy crime drama set in late ’90s Miami. Enjoy your weekend kids.

www.queerty.com/golden-globe-winning-actress-lady-gaga-play-donatella-versace-20161104?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Anti-LGBT Robocall Attacks West Virginia’s First Openly Gay Lawmaker – LISTEN

A robocall has been released targeting openly gay West Virginia state Senator Stephen Skinner (D).

The call regurgitates the dangerous and false myth about transgender rights bills enabling predatory behavior in girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.

The robocall seems to have been funded by Family Policy Council of West Virginia. In it, an allegedly 12-year-old girl accuses Skinner of putting “gay activism” ahead of the safety of young girls.

The robocall goes like this:

“Hi, my name’s Courtney and a man came into our changing room last night while I was getting dressed after swim practice. So the Family Policy Council of West Virginia paid so I could tell you why that scared me. I’m only 12. I’m not old enough to see a naked man. I know what a girl is, and it’s not that. My [unintelligible] said Stephen Skinner pushed the city councils to let men into our showers. She says it’s because Mr. Skinner only cares about gay activism and not common-sense safety for girls. I’m not old enough to vote yet and no candidate or any candidate’s committee authorized me to call but please vote against Stephen Skinner. I want to feel safe.”

The call ends with the girl imploring voters to cast their ballots for Skinner’s Republican opponent, Patricia Rucker (right). “Patricia Rucker has a daughter. She understands. Vote for her.”

RELATED: Debunking the Dangerous Myth Behind America’s Anti-LGBT ‘Bathroom Bills’ – WATCH 

Skinner became the first openly gay lawmaker in West Virginia when he was elected to the state senate in 2012.

The Victory Fund writes of his record, 

Stephen is the founder of Fairness West Virginia, a statewide LGBT advocacy group. In 2012, Stephen became the first-ever LGBT legislator in West Virginia when he was elected to the 67th District of the House of Delegates, and was re-elected in 2014. Since being elected to office, Stephen has championed LGBT rights in West Virginia and has become a leader within the Democratic Party, raising money and recruiting candidates. Stephen attended Victory’s Candidate & Campaign Training in 2005, and has been instrumental in directing potential West Virginia LGBT candidates to Victory Fund trainings ever since.

You can donate to Skinner’s campaign, here.

Listen to the robocall, below.

[h/t Victory Fund]

The post Anti-LGBT Robocall Attacks West Virginia’s First Openly Gay Lawmaker – LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

Anti-LGBT Robocall Attacks West Virginia’s First Openly Gay Lawmaker – LISTEN

Cast of Transparent Thirsts for Even More Queer Representation (Video)

What would you like to see more of on television?

www.advocate.com/television/2016/11/04/cast-transparent-thirsts-even-more-queer-representation-video

Nick Jonas Teases The World With Racy Snapchat

Lest his fans forget his toned torso and patch of chest hair in the heat of Electionocalypse 2016, Nick Jonas has done the right thing by allowing a moment of nubile appreciation.

The performer sent out a racy Snapchat to all his followers, and because of a little thing called screen-grab, it’s now enshrined for all eternity.

So how’s Jonas looking these days? Well, as if there were any suspense to it, pretty good:

“Play hard. Work harder,” the caption reads, making this something of an educational moment as well as a thirst-trap moment.

“Ahh,” we uttered. “Now we see. It all makes sense.”

And if you’re wondering what sort of hard work Jonas has been up to to achieve the above results, a quick glance at his Instagram shows the sweaty reality:

h/t NNN

www.queerty.com/nick-jonas-teases-world-racy-snapchat-20161104?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Greg Louganis is First Openly Gay Man to Serve as Grand Marshal of Rose Parade

Greg Louganis will serve as Grand Marshal for the 128th annual Rose Parade with fellow Olympic medalists Janet Evans and Allyson Felix, making him the first openly gay person to be given that honor, the Mercury News reports:

Aaron Saenz, board president of the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center in Arcadia, said the announcement is in line with what the organization is working to do lately in increasing the visibility of LGBTQ individuals.

“It’s really forward thinking,” said Saenz. “It’s adding to the conversation that a respected Olympian, who also happens to be gay and living with HIV, can receive such a great honor and is part of the community at large.”

The Rose Parade takes place to coincide with the Rose Bowl college football game on January 2.

Some folks will recall that in 2014 conservatives flipped out when one of the floats in the parade recognized marriage equality and a couple was married atop the float.

Watch the Louganis announcement:

The post Greg Louganis is First Openly Gay Man to Serve as Grand Marshal of Rose Parade appeared first on Towleroad.

Greg Louganis is First Openly Gay Man to Serve as Grand Marshal of Rose Parade

Lena Dunham Outdoes Le Tigre With Hillary Rap Video

With days left before the election, the tributes are pouring in. 

www.advocate.com/comedy/2016/11/04/lena-dunham-outdoes-le-tigre-hillary-rap-video

Antigay Christian Law Firm That Represented Kim Davis Is Only Getting Started

If you thought you’d seen the last of Kim Davis, wait until you get a load of the Kim Davis clones that are coming next year.

The law firm that took advantage of Kim to elevate their name, Liberty Counsel, has been hard at work on preparing somewhere around two dozen anti-gay bills through legislatures around the country. The group just sent out a donation-beg to support their work: “Liberty Counsel is working pro bono with 22 different states in fighting the outrageous ‘bathroom’ movement,” they say.

Related: Deodorant Ad Perfectly Nails What’s Wrong With The Trans Bathroom Debate

That means you haven’t heard the last of the lies about “men in the women’s room.” And because Liberty Counsel is rabidly anti-gay, they’re probably also working on more of those turn-away-the-gays bills, which they call “religious freedom restoration acts.”

The country’s been so distracted by the Donald Trump sideshow for the last few months, you might even have forgotten that those bills were even a thing. But they are, and they’re only going to expand. Anti-gay activists have been scheming to roll back nondiscrimination ordinances at the local level, to pass turn-away-the-gays at state levels, and they have a federal version that Donald Trump has promised to sign. (Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has pledged to sign a nondiscrimination bill — just in case you were still unsure about which candidate is on your side.)

Related: This Flow Chart That Destroys Religion’s Case Against Gay Marriage Is So Easy, Any Zealot Can Use It

So what’s to be done about this? It’s hard to say. We could stand to see a massive reduction in LGBT equality, particularly in the south. Despite having lost (mostly) on the Kim Davis case, Liberty Counsel is as dangerous as the National Organization for Marriage used to be, and there’s no clear strategy in place for fighting back.

www.queerty.com/antigay-christian-law-firm-represented-kim-davis-getting-started-20161104?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Kelly Clarkson Covers ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ from ‘Hamilton’, and It’s Devastating – LISTEN

Kelly Clarkson has covered “It’s Quiet Uptown” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit Hamilton and it’s devastatingly beautiful.

The track is just one of many on Miranda’s ‘Hamilton Mixtape’, an album of covers and re-workings of songs from Hamilton by popular artists.

The full tracklist was released on Thursday. The album is currently available for pre-order.

But wait there’s more! #HamiltonMixtape pic.twitter.com/cguOx95N96

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016

Social media reactions to Clarkson’s rendition of “It’s Quiet Uptown” could best be summed up as #UglyCry.

I was NOT emotionally prepared for Kelly Clarkson’s “It’s Quiet Uptown.” #HamiltonMixtape pic.twitter.com/ZnB83M1EYZ

— Caroline Szumski (@CarolineSzumski) November 4, 2016

@HamiltonMusical @kelly_clarkson @theroots Emotion! Feelings! Mixtape! Thanks! pic.twitter.com/TXweUQyIN7

— Miss Faux Kissed (@noelleerox) November 4, 2016

Dear @kelly_clarkson, your ‘Quiet Uptown’ ranks a full ten on the scale of perfect ugly cries. Thank you (and you, @Lin_Manuel).

— Julie Plec (@julieplec) November 4, 2016

Clarkson shared that she recorded the song while pregnant with her son, saying it was one of the hardest things she has ever done in her life.

Recording It’s Quiet Uptown while being pregnant with my son was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. 😳😩 #HamiltonMixtape

— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) November 4, 2016

For the uninitiated, “It’s Quiet Uptown” is about Alexander Hamilton trying to cope with the death of his son, going through “the unimaginable.”

Listen, below.

Also released was The Roots’ and Busta Rhymes’ take on “My Shot.”

[h/t Mashable]

The post Kelly Clarkson Covers ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ from ‘Hamilton’, and It’s Devastating – LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

Kelly Clarkson Covers ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ from ‘Hamilton’, and It’s Devastating – LISTEN

Rachel Bloom And Her Famous Friends Want You To Effing Vote!

Look, we get it: this election cycle has been a slog. It has left most of us feeling as mentally drained and emotionally soiled as a circuit queen after a three-day holiday weekend. But in case you needed a reminder, Holy shit, you have got to vote!

Like, that should go without saying, right? Particularly in light of the well documented efforts at voter suppression in battleground states like North Carolina—not to mention the Trump campaign’s own voter suppression initiatives. But in case you needed a little reminder, here’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star and creator Rachel Bloom and a bunch of her lefty, Hollyweird, media elite pals—Moby, Elizabeth Banks, Ruby Rose; Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Patti Lupone make appearances despite being too famous to actually show up at the studio—to get your head right before Election Day.

LOLs, right? But seriously, if you live in a swing state, we urge you to do everything in your power to get out the vote. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Explain to them why voting in this election is so very important, and that we cannot afford to be apathetic or discouraged when the very fate of the Republic hangs in the balance. Cover shifts for your co-workers so that they can vote. Offer rides to others so that they can make it to their polling places and vote. The more you do to get out the vote, the better you’ll feel sipping a glass of wine and watching the returns roll in on Election Night.

Who are we kidding? We’ll all be in a state of existential panic next Tuesday.

www.queerty.com/rachel-bloom-famous-friends-want-effing-vote-20161104?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29