ACLU Sues Kim Davis and Her County for $233K in Legal Fees
The organization says because it prevailed in the suit over Davis’s refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, it’s entitled to recoup costs. But Davis’s lawyer says she was the winner.
www.advocate.com/marriage-equality/2016/9/20/aclu-sues-kim-davis-and-her-county-233k-legal-fees
What's Pepe the Frog? Rachel Maddow Explains (Video)
His fans will repulse you.
www.advocate.com/race/2016/9/20/whats-pepe-frog-rachel-maddow-explains-video
The New James Corden Apple Music Commercial Is Soul-Bendingly Bad
Too meta for its own good, the new ad for Apple Music is so busy making sure you realize it knows that it’s terrible that it forgets not to actually be terrible.
Related: James Corden Fell In Love With A BuzzFeed Try Guy At The Emmys Last Night
You’ll see what we mean when you see the “extended cut” of the commercial below, a two-minute spot featuring comedian James Corden pitching Apple executives terrible ideas for the terrible commercial you’re watching, which paradoxically makes the whole thing — “boom” — twice as terrible.
Related: James Corden Channels His Inner Beyonce In Hysterical Lemonade Parody
It features him dressed up as Bowie, Slash, The Spice Girls, and Pharrell, much to the feigned chagrin of the supposed Apple execs, and to the genuine chagrin of whoever happens to be watching the commercial.
That’s about to be you:
Bowie.
Slash.
Spice Girls.
Pharrell.
And… @JKCorden
See the Extended Cut now. #Emmyst.co/jOT9o5HK28 pic.twitter.com/IbFvHuCUHR— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) September 19, 2016
A Terrorist Who Doesn’t Like Gays–What Will They Think Of Next?
Ahmad Khan Rahami
The man believed to be responsible for bombings in New York and New Jersey hated gay people and American culture, according to the mother of his young daughter.
Related: Texas Pride Event Called Off After Threats Of Violence
Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was captured on Monday after a shootout with police when the owner of a bar in New Jersey discovered him sleeping in the doorway of his establishment. He has been charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The mother of his young daughter, identified only as Maria by Fox News, said Rahami, her high school sweetheart, did not pay child support and that she had not seen him in two years. She added that he often railed against Western culture, saying there weren’t any gay people in Afghanistan. He is reportedly a U.S. citizen but made trips back to Afghanistan often to see family, according to the mother of his child.
“I never thought he would do something like this,” she said through tears. “I think he was brainwashed.”
His father told police in 2014 that he believed his son might be involved in terrorism, The New York Times reports, prompting a review by federal agents. He spoke with FBI agents just after his son was arrested for stabbing another one of his sons, leading to a criminal investigation. An official claims that he made the comment out of anger and later recanted.
Rahami was not indicted for stabbing his brother, Nasim Rahami, nor for a charge of possession of a knife and possession of a firearm “with a purpose to use it unlawfully against the person or property of Nasim Rahami,” Daily Mail reports.
Related: The Internet Responds To The Orlando Tragedy
Authorities found a notebook on Rahami, pierced with a bullet hole and covered in blood, expressing opinions sympathetic to jihadist causes, according to a law enforcement official who agreed to speak to The New York Times about the investigation only on the condition of anonymity.
BBC’s ‘Eastenders’ Axes First Trans Actor To Play a Trans Character on a UK Soap: VIDEO
BBC’s Eastenders has axed Riley Carter Millington, the first ever transgender actor to play a transgender character in a continuing role on a UK soap.
Last October, it was announced that Millington would play the role of Stacey Slater’s long-lost half brother Kyle.
Millington was one of nine cast members let go by the show’s producer Sean O’Connor.
Riley Carter-Millington becomes the NINTH star to leave the soap! @MrRileyCarter1 #EastEnders t.co/Vk3SXNc9Qx
— EastEnders Spy (@EastEnders_Spy) September 14, 2016
Speaking with Metro.co.uk, Millington said:
“When I landed a six-month contract at EastEnders it was a dream come true.
“For that to be extended to a year was something I never expected.
“However, as the time comes for Kyle to depart Walford I am looking forward to taking on new roles and who knows, Kyle may find his way back to Walford one day.”
While it’s not yet known how Kyle will leave the show, it’s expected that bisexual character Steven Beale will be somehow involved.
Though leaving EastEnders, Millington has just landed a role in stage production Safe, which will explore the issue of homeless and at rick LGBT youth in the UK.
“EastEnders” star Riley Carter Millington to head the cast of SAFE: SAFE, a powerful new verbatim theatre pie… t.co/GyUaMgIdMb
— LondonTheatre1 (@LondonTheatre1) September 19, 2016
Watch Kyle reveal his identity to Stacey below.
(Image via Twitter)
The post BBC’s ‘Eastenders’ Axes First Trans Actor To Play a Trans Character on a UK Soap: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
BBC’s ‘Eastenders’ Axes First Trans Actor To Play a Trans Character on a UK Soap: VIDEO
Jared Leto to Star in and Produce New Biopic About Andy Warhol
Jared Leto is set to star in and produce an adaptation of pop artist and provocateur Andy Wahol’s life titled simply, Warhol.
The screenplay comes from Boardwalk Empire creator Terrence Winter, whose credits also include The Wolf of Wall Street and 50 Cent drama Get Rich or Die Tryin’. He will use Victor Bockris’s 1989 book Warhol: The Biography as inspiration, with Leto acquiring rights.
Warhol shot to fame in the 1960s with his unique take on American consumerism and quickly became a fixture in the New York club scene. He was also openly gay at a time when homosexuality wasn’t readily accepted. Amid his success, he suffered from hypochondria and was the victim of an attempted murder in 1968.
There is no word currently as to whether Leto considered casting a gay male actor in the titular role or whether his involvement as producer was predicated upon him starring in the film.
Leto recently remarked that he doesn’t think gay male actors in Hollywood get the same opportunities that straight ones do: “Not for a single second. I don’t know if that’s offensive or not, but that’s my thought right now. It shouldn’t be that way…I think that this is still a very conservative business.”
Leto won an Academy Award for playing a transgender woman in 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club. Despite the accolades he received for his performance, many criticized Leto for taking the role in the first place, saying that it should have gone to a trans actor.
Recently, Matt Bomer came under heavy public scrutiny once it was announced that he would play a transgender woman in the upcoming film Anything, from executive producer Mark Ruffalo. Many activists in the trans community said casting cisgender men to play transgender women leads to harmful stereotypes about transgender women and also leads to increased violence against transgender women.
[Top photos via Wikimedia Commons, Instagram]
The post Jared Leto to Star in and Produce New Biopic About Andy Warhol appeared first on Towleroad.
Jared Leto to Star in and Produce New Biopic About Andy Warhol
Photo of Skittles Tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. to Demonize Refugees Was Taken by a Refugee
This image says it all. Let’s end the politically correct agenda that doesn’t put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016
Skittles began trending on social media last night after Donald Trump Jr. compared the colorful candy to Syrian refugees.
Trump Jr. tweeted a photo of a bowl of Skittles with a caption that read, “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.”
He added: “This image says it all. Let’s end the politically correct agenda that doesn’t put America first.”
Now, the BBC reports that the photo used by the Trump campaign in the meme was taken by a refugee from Cyprus and used without permission:
David Kittos, 48, from Guildford, UK, woke up to find an image he had posted to Flickr in January 2010 had become embroiled in a political controversy.
“This was not done with my permission, I don’t support his politics and I would never take his money to use it,” Mr Kittos told the BBC. “In 1974, when I was six-years old, I was a refugee from the Turkish occupation of Cyprus so I would never approve the use of this image against refugees.”
Oh, the irony.
As we reported earlier the reaction to Trump Jr.s tweet was swift, and brutal:
Thousands of Syrian children just like Omran have been killed in the war. They aren’t Skittles. They’re children. Just like yours. #Skittles pic.twitter.com/3x7TW8hDOV
— N (@_narbie) September 20, 2016
Denise Young, VP of Corporate Affairs at Wrigley Americas, the owner of Skittles, reacted to the controversy.
Said the company: “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don’t feel it’s an appropriate analogy. We will respectfully refrain from further commentary as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.”
A rep for @Skittles gives me their response to @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/OmkJQkIqug
— Seth Abramovitch (@SethAbramovitch) September 20, 2016
The post Photo of Skittles Tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. to Demonize Refugees Was Taken by a Refugee appeared first on Towleroad.
Photo of Skittles Tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. to Demonize Refugees Was Taken by a Refugee
Out of the Shadows: DADT’s Repeal Five Years Later
Today marks the 5 year anniversary of the full implementation of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Repeal of the law closed a dark and discriminatory chapter of American history that required gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers to be dishonest about who they are in order to serve the country they love.
17 years prior to the ban’s end, highly capable gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers were fired for being honest about their sexual orientation. DADT was not only a detriment to national security that harmed military readiness, recruitment, and morale — it was discrimination written into law that is inconsistent with the values of equality and freedom.
Between 2009 and 2011, American artist, Jeff Sheng photographed about 80 LGBT servicemembers in the US military who could not show their faces due to DADT. His photographic work is a powerful statement of the pain inflicted on servicemembers and military families because of this archaic policy. His photographs on this topic have been featured in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, the Advocate, and ABC World News Tonight, among others.
In 2014, Jeff began revisiting many of these servicemembers to follow up about their experiences since DADT’s repeal, and to photograph them now with their faces showing. On today’s anniversary we’ve worked with Jeff on a sneak peak of his work in our Instagram series, “Out of the Shadows: DADT’s Repeal 5 Years Later.”
“While the work is still in progress, I wanted to share some of these images now on the 5-year anniversary of the repeal of DADT, to visually show the kind of progress we have made as a society. It’s unimaginable now to think that just over 5 years ago, these brave service members were not allowed to show who they are, but today can be recognized fully and celebrated as the heroes that they truly are.” – Jeff Sheng
DADT’s repeal five years ago marked a new chapter in American history. It meant that gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans eager to serve, but unwilling to compromise who they are as individuals, could now do so without having to live dishonestly.
Thanks to the repeal of DADT, and the recent end to outdated policies that prevented transgender people from serving, the LGBTQ community is finally able to openly and proudly serve our nation. As we celebrate five years of a wrong made right, our we must recommit to the fight for the expansion of rights and protections for LGBTQ people everywhere.
www.hrc.org/blog/out-of-the-shadows-dadts-repeal-5-years-later?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
Out vocalist Billy Gilman stuns judges in 'The Voice' blind audition
Photo Credit: Youtube.com/TheVoice
On tonight’s all new episode of The Voice, out singer Billy Gilman auditions and stuns the judges as all four judges turn their chairs to get him on their teams. Gilman, who as a child previously opened for judge Miley Cyrus’ father on tour, speaks with the panel about finding his sound and image now.
Cyrus, who came out as pansexual last year, said, “I’d love to help you now become the new Billy. Because I had to make that decision and I know how I want people to see me and I am very clear about that. So, I would love to help you be clear to people about who you are.”
Alicia Keys continued, “What you really accomplished, which is the greatest success to me, is the ability to stand here and be your best you and it is very inspiring.”
Check out Gilman’s blind audition below and tune in to The Voice tonight at 8pm on NBC to see who he chooses to be his coach.
Gilman became the youngest singer to chart a Top 40 hit on the country music charts at the age of 11 with his debut single “One Voice” in 2000, and his debut album of the same name went on to be certified double platinum. He came out in 2014 after being inspired by country singer Ty Herndon’s coming out. Gilman posted a video sharing his story where he said, “I’ve been an advocate for so many things in my life that I thought why not now be an advocate for me and the cause that I believe in with my whole heart I felt it was time for me to be honest and to be truthful.” Gilman and Herndon both performed at the first ever Concert for Love and Acceptance last year in Nashville, presented by GLAAD and Herndon.
Tune in to The Voice tonight at 8pm on NBC to see more from Gilman.
www.glaad.org/blog/out-vocalist-billy-gilman-stuns-judges-voice-blind-audition
Meek Mill Uses Gay Slurs While Sampling Beat by Lesbian Rapper
Dropping homophobic slurs in rap songs is not a good look in 2016.
