Why Is Bret Easton Ellis Trolling Black Panther?

Black Panther has received acclaim from all four realms as they say and although not a perfect movie by any means it certainly doesn’t seem to deserve the vitriol that openly gay American Psycho creator Bret Easton Ellis, has doled out.

The film’s praise has served as inspiration for him to revive a peculiar criticism tactic that previously saw the once-acclaimed writer quite dumbly attributing Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow’s own awards success to being a “hot woman.”

During a recent episode of his podcast, as transcribed by The Wrap, Ellis—who recorded the episode before the nominations announcement—questioned Black Panther‘s quality.

“No superhero movie has ever gotten a Best Picture nomination,” Complex reported. “But believe me, Disney is doing everything in its power to make sure this happens. Even though there is no one out here in La La Land I’ve met who thinks Black Panther is that good as a movie. Yet, as a piece of representation, they are supporting it.”

Ellis went on to say that he felt that the assessment of Coogler’s film as a “grand piece of cinematic art” was being “shoved down our throats” by press and studios alike. “Representation is so important to them,” he said on the podcast, which is only available to subscribers for a fee. “And with a huge fatuous inclusivity and diversity push. What the most flattering pose might be in the moment—as if inclusivity and diversity have anything to do with awarding a movie’s merits. Yes, this is the culture the Oscars are pushing, and it is rather nauseating.”

Writer George M Johnson replied on Twitter:

READ OUR PROFILE OF GEORGE M JOHNSON

There have easily been 5-6 white superhero movies a year since 1990 but yes, tell us how the ONE Black one is on overkill. Y’all ain’t tired?

There have easily been 5-6 white superhero movies a year since 1990 but yes, tell us how the ONE Black one is on overkill . Y’all ain’t tired? t.co/2HNcf7YTsg

— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) February 4, 2019

Complex noted that Black Panther currently holds a 97 percent average on Rotten Tomatoes. The Ellis-penned 2016 film The Curse of Downers Grove, meanwhile, is presently at 15 percent.

The post Why Is Bret Easton Ellis Trolling Black Panther? appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Why Is Bret Easton Ellis Trolling Black Panther?

Pop icon Madonna to be honored with the Advocate for Change Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

www.glaad.org/blog/pop-icon-madonna-be-honored-advocate-change-award-30th-annual-glaad-media-awards

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: February 5, 2019

HRC RESPONDS TO REPORTS THAT AT TONIGHT’S SOTU, TRUMP WILL ANNOUNCE HIV PLAN — AFTER TWO YEARS OF UNDERMINING EFFORTS: “If this administration wants to combat the spread of HIV, they need to immediately end their efforts to cut Medicaid funding, undermine the Affordable Care Act and license discrimination against the most at-risk communities when they seek health care,” said David Stacy, HRC Director of Government Affairs. “This administration simply cannot achieve this goal while, at the same time, charging forward with attacks on health care for the communities most impacted by HIV.” More from HRC and The Washington Post.

• Great news from National Immigration Law Center: “Marco Villada, a former DACA recipient whose life was turned upside down by an injustice that separated him from his husband and left him stranded in Mexico for half a year, will attend the State of the Union Address on Tuesday as a guest of Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46).” More here.
• And in a powerful show of support for transgender service members and veterans who are under attack by Trump-Pence, members of Congress including Representatives Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will bring as their SOTU guests transgender troops and vets. More from Washington Blade.

Congressman @RepMcEachin will host US Navy Petty Officer Second Class Megan Winters as his guest to President @realDonaldTrump‘s State of the Union tomorrow.
We & @OutServeSLDN are proud to represent Megan in the fight against the #TransMilitaryBan. #SOTU t.co/r5S1DnVjJh

— Lambda Legal (@LambdaLegal) February 4, 2019

NEW POLLING IN MISSISSIPPI SHOWS BROAD, BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR UPDATE TO STATE HATE CRIMES LAW: “It is clear that updating Mississippi’s hate crimes laws is a non-controversial, commonsense solution toward ensuring victims of bias-based crimes are treated more fairly under the law, and now we know it is a proposition that has widespread bipartisan support across the state,” said Rob Hill, HRC Mississippi state director. Support outweighs opposition throughout the state — and across party lines. See the full polling here. More from The Associated Press.

• Twin bills that would update the law to include sexual orientation, gender identity and disability are awaiting a hearing in the Mississippi statehouse.

TUESDAY TWEET — NEW VIDEO FROM HRC AND RAICES HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS OF TRUMP’S “RETURN TO MEXICO” POLICY:

Trumps “Return To Mexico” policy will force LGBTQ asylum seekers like Angner to stay in Mexico indefinitely while their immigration cases go through the courts.

Don’t let our govt turn its back on vulnerable people.

We need you to call your elected officials today. pic.twitter.com/tR5BeVrSN8

— RAICES (@RAICESTEXAS) February 4, 2019

STATEHOUSE ROUNDUP:

• Arizona lawmakers push for hearing on a bill that would ensure transgender people have dignity in death by making it easier to correct someone’s gender on a death certificate. More from The Daily Beast.
• Anti-equality lawmakers in South Dakota have introduced a bill to block transgender student-athletes from participating on teams aligned with their gender identity. More from Argus Leader.
• A Minnesota bill would close a loophole that forces a mother to adopt her own child if  she is in a same-sex marriage and not the birthing parent. More from Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

ACCURATE DATA ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY  KEY TO HELPING POLICY MAKERS ADDRESS NEEDS: New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that two percent of U.S. high schoolers are transgender. This visibility is not only helping countless youth feel seen, but also gives lawmakers a better picture of the needs of the trans community, which is not accounted for in the U.S. Census and other federal surveys. More from USA Today.

NEW LAWSUIT ALLEGES TRANS MARYLAND TEACHER HARASSED AT PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Jennifer Eller’s suit alleges she was repeatedly harassed, insulted, misgendered and threatened — and that school officials retaliated against her when she reported the abuse. More from Baltimore Sun.

ICYMI — PARENTS OF TRANS & GENDER EXPANSIVE YOUTH MEET WITH CONGRESSIONAL TRANSGENDER EQUALITY TASK FORCE: The HRC Foundation’s Parents for Transgender Equality National Council, a group of the nation’s leading parent-advocates in the fight for transgender equality, met with members of Congress to discuss their families’ moving journeys and the urgent need for Congress to pass the Equality Act.

“I said ‘Well, honey, your dad’s love comes with a lifetime guarantee.’”

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WATCH: Incredible parents of transgender youth speak with @RepJoeKennedy & other members of Congress about the importance of the #EqualityAct. pic.twitter.com/plgLNsjpKH

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 3, 2019

WE MUST ADDRESS VIOLENCE TARGETING LGBTQ COMMUNITIES OF COLOR: The recent horrific attack on Jussie Smollett has sparked a nationwide conversation about the epidemic of violence that disproportionately targets Black people, LGBTQ people and religious minorities — and those living at the intersections of multiple identities. More from HRC.

OVER 200 RALLY IN TEXAS FOLLOWING ATTACK ON SAME-SEX COUPLE IN AUSTIN: More from Austin Statesman.

TODAY — SENTENCING IN CASE INVOLVING ROBBERY OF TRANS WOMAN; MURDERING WOMAN’S BOYFRIEND: Matthew White, 34, is accused of targeting transgender woman for robbery. During one such incident, White allegedly murdered the boyfriend on one of his targets. More from KYW News Radio.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

HORRIFYING — SAME-SEX COUPLE MURDERED IN RUSSIA: More from Meduza.

OPENLY GAY POLISH POLITICIAN ROBERT BIEDRON FOUNDS NEW POLITICAL PARTY: The Wiosna (Spring) party calls for improved rights for women and the LGBTQ community. More from The Washington Post.

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

The New York Times reviews the upcoming novel “An Indefinite Sentence,” a memoir of a gay man from India; Forbes discusses the $1 trillion (yes, with a “T”) buying power of the LGBTQ community

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-february-5-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Toronto Serial Killer Staged Victims’ Bodies to Photograph Them, Was in the Process of Killing a Man When Police Knocked

WARNING: This story includes some graphic details some readers may find upsetting

The monster who last week pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder for the killings of men he targeted in Toronto’s gay village, appeared at day one of his sentencing hearing on Monday.

The Court heard gruesome details about Bruce McArthur’s strategy in targeting his victims, and what he did to the victims’ bodies.

McArthur was charged for the murders of Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen, Andrew Kinsman, Skandaraj (Skanda) Navaratnam, Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam and Abdulbasir Faizi, whose names were read aloud by crown prosecutor Michael Cantlon.

The Guardian reports: ‘The court heard that McArthur staged photographs of his victims’ corpses, posing the bodies in a fur coat and black leather hat, and – in two cases – with a cigar between their lips. Cantlon described the extensive collection of photographs McArthur kept of his victims – many of them taken while they were alive. McArthur also shaved and stored the facial hair from his victims, Cantlon said.’

McArthur was in the middle of a ninth murder when police knocked on his door, The Independent reports: ‘Police, who had been monitoring the 67-year-old landscape gardener as a potential suspect, moved in for fears another murder was about to take place. When they arrived, they found McArthur had chained the man – identified in court only as John – to a four-poster bed and placed a black bag over his head. He was taping his victim’s mouth shut at the moment police knocked.’

Victims’ families and friends also read statements, remembering their lost loved ones.

Watch a report from CBC:

Toronto police have been blasted for neglect in pursuing the disappearances of men for years in the gay village, and for how they dealt with McArthur whom they had come into contact with several times.

The Globe and Mail reports: “Police interviewed Mr. McArthur twice in the years before his arrest in January, 2018. In addition to the 2016 interview, officers talked to him in 2013, after police were told Mr. McArthur had a romantic relationship with Skandaraj Navaratnam, the first man to go missing, and that he had visited his third victim, Majeed Kayhan, before his disappearance. An internal review into the way the 2016 incident was handled was ordered later.”

Sergeant Paul Gauthier will be charged with insubordination and neglect of duty on Tuesday morning, the Globe and Mail adds: “Sgt. Gauthier’s lawyer, Lawrence Gridin, said the charge is connected to an incident in 2016. The Globe has previously reported that in 2016, Mr. McArthur was interviewed by police after a man said Mr. McArthur choked him during sex. No criminal charges were laid at the time.”

Gauthier’s lawyer released a statement on Friday night: “The decision not to charge Bruce McArthur for the 2016 incident was made in conjunction with Detective Gauthier’s supervisor and based on the information available at the time. Det. Gauthier conducted a proper investigation and fully documented the arrest of McArthur so that the information was available to all other investigators. McArthur’s monstrous nature was difficult to uncover because he led a life of extreme deception, not because of anything to do with the 2016 arrest. Det. Gauthier has great sympathy for the victims and the community.”

The post Toronto Serial Killer Staged Victims’ Bodies to Photograph Them, Was in the Process of Killing a Man When Police Knocked appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Toronto Serial Killer Staged Victims’ Bodies to Photograph Them, Was in the Process of Killing a Man When Police Knocked

Donald Trump Doesn’t Care About HIV/AIDS—Here’s How He Could

The president will reportedly discuss goals of ending HIV at SOTU. ACT UP NY explains how he can actually help. 

www.advocate.com/commentary/2019/2/05/donald-trump-doesnt-care-about-hivaids-heres-how-he-could

Bianca Derosa: My New Lingerie Set !

I shopping last weekend, and got a lot of amazing stuff! some Red, purple, skin color, white and Black lingerie ! I go crazy everytime I go shopping ! lol, I love it! I went for my own, looking into different locals, so Im sure all off you are going to love my new clothing 😉 ;)}Im sure I got my Boobs bigger ( OMG ) I needed to buy some new Bras, you are gonna see them 😉 I spent the whole day, shopping, but already took a break , and ate one of those new ice creams on the new local in the Mall , Yummy !

Visit Bianca Derosa’s Chat Room

www.flirt4free.com/models/bios/bianca_derosa/about.php?mp_code=f48t&service=girls

Trump Is a Hypocrite on HIV, Activists Say

News that the State of the Union address may include a plan to end the epidemic by 2030 leaves activists underwhelmed.

www.advocate.com/hiv-aids/2019/2/04/trump-has-shown-he-doesnt-care-about-hiv-activists-say

Half-Male, Half-Female Cardinal Goes Viral, Has a Male Lover

Pennsylvania birdwatcher Shirley Caldwell spotted something unusual in her backyard this winter, a cardinal that appeared to be half-male (vermilion), and half-female (taupe), which was confirmed by an ornithologist to be a genuine bilateral gynandromorph (half-male, half-female). Caldwell’s photos have since gone viral.

National Geographic reports: ‘Gynandromorphs, known as “half-siders” among ornithologists, are uncommon but not unheard of. They likely occur across all species of birds, Hooper says, but we’re only likely to notice them in species where the adult males and females look distinct from each other, a trait known as sexual dimorphism. “Cardinals are one of the most well-known sexually dimorphic birds in North America—their bright red plumage in males is iconic—so people easily notice when they look different,” Hooper says.’

Caldwell’s cardinal, which may be able to reproduce because it’s ‘female’ side is on the left “and only the left ovary in birds in functional” is always with a male. “We’re happy it’s not lonely,” she told NatGeo.

The post Half-Male, Half-Female Cardinal Goes Viral, Has a Male Lover appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Half-Male, Half-Female Cardinal Goes Viral, Has a Male Lover

Burger King serves up only queer Super Bowl ad with obscure reference to Andy Warhol

www.queerty.com/burger-king-serves-queer-super-bowl-ad-obscure-reference-andy-warhol-20190204?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: February 4, 2019

MORNING MUST READ — “WE’RE COUNTING ON NANCY PELOSI TO ADVANCE THE EQUALITY ACT”: HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) and National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling (@MaraKeisling) write today in The Advocate, “Our community has waited far too long for [the Equality Act]. Without [it], countless LGBTQ people and families remain vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace, in the ER, in a leasing office, and at the restaurant around the corner. And without them, the Trump-Pence administration’s dangerous plan to erase LGBTQ people from federal protections could succeed.”  Today, half of all LGBTQ Americans live in the 30 states without explicit, uniform legal protections from discrimination. More from Advocate.

HRC FOUNDATION TO HONOR OLYMPIAN ADAM RIPPON AND SCHOOL COUNSELOR BRIAN COLEMAN WITH UPSTANDER AWARDS: At Time to THRIVE, Coleman and Rippon will join other special guests, including LGBTQ advocate and mother of Ellen DeDeneres Betty DeGeneres; President and Founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation Dolores Huerta; parent-advocate, founder of FreeMomHugs and subject of an upcoming Jamie Lee Curtis project Sara Cunningham; transgender trailblazer Jazz Jennings and her mother Jeanette Jennings; Los Angeles Rams cheerleader Quinton Peron; and others. HRC previously announced that it will honor advocates E.J. Johnson and Judy and Dennis Shepard with an Upstander Award during the Time to THRIVE conference. More from HRC.

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HRC is excited to announce that Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) will receive an Upstander Award at @HRC Foundation’s #TimeToTHRIVE Conference in Anaheim, CA Feb. 15 – 17.t.co/RlQ5JXYESW

PS: There’s still time to register! t.co/oUZJAH5Vol pic.twitter.com/GVZn5l7AEa

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 1, 2019

VICTORY! —  NEW JERSEY BECOMES FOURTH STATE TO ALLOW GENDER-NEUTRAL OPTION ON BIRTH CERTIFICATE: “Having a gender-neutral option will now give thousands of people in the state of New Jersey the power to self-identify,” said Amanda Babine (@ababine), director of policy and programs at the New York Transgender Advocacy Group. More from NBC.

• HRC mourns New Jersey’s Barbra “Babs” Siperstein, the first openly transgender member of the Democratic National Committee, who died just days after the law — named after her — went into effect. Appointed to the committee in 2009, she also served on its executive committee from 2011 to until October 2017. More from Insider NJ.

MUST WATCH MONDAY — ELLEN PAGE ADVOCATES AGAINST HATE CRIMES, HIGHLIGHTS RISE MOTIVATED BY TRUMP-PENCE ADMIN: “This is what happens,” Page said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “If you are in a position of power and you hate people, and you want to cause suffering to them — you go through the trouble, you spend your career trying to cause suffering — what do you think is gonna happen?” More from Vanity Fair.

• New report notes two-thirds of Americans say hate crimes have intensified in the last two years: More from Hate Magnified.

ICYMI — ACTOR AMANDLA STENBERG TALKS BLACK, QUEER REPRESENTATION AT HRC GREATER NEW YORK GALA: “Had I had more representations of black gay women growing up, I probably would have come to conclusions around my sexuality earlier, because I would have had more conceptions of what is possible, and okay,” Stenberg said. More from Pink News.

HRC FOUNDATION CELEBRATES ITS HBCU PROGRAM DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: More from HRC.

This #BlackHistoryMonth we celebrate @HRC Foundation’s #HBCU Program, which empowers #LGBTQ young people to lead effectively at the intersections of race, religion, gender identity, class and sexual orientation on their campuses and in their communities. t.co/1U8phifJzD

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) February 1, 2019

NC DMV REVISES PROCESS FOR CHANGING GENDER ON DRIVER’S LICENSE OR ID CARD: No longer will applicants have to procure a court order or letter from a physician. The revisions also eliminate a requirement that a person undergo surgery before correcting their license. Partners at Equality North Carolina worked on the change for years. More from Herald Sun.

AWFUL — USA POWERLIFTING TO BAN TRANSGENDER ATHLETES: The organization’s position stands in stark contrast to other major sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee, USA Hockey, the NCAA and Crossfit. More from Compete Network.

 GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

GAY IRAQI MAN SPEAKS OUT ABOUT FLEEING IRAQ, STARTING IRAQ’S FIRST LGBTQ ORGANIZATION : “Iraq has a lot of great achievements and positive points, but for LGBTI people, our identities are the equivalent of a death sentence,” said Amir Ashour, founder of IraQueer (@IraQueer). More from Gay Star News and Hornet.

DISGUSTING — BERLIN MONUMENT HONORING LGBTQ VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST VANDALIZED: More from ArtNews.

DISNEYLAND PARIS TO HOST FRANCHISE’S FIRST-EVER OFFICIAL LGBTQ PRIDE EVENT: More from Queerty.

MEXICO BORDER CITY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO LGBTQ MIGRANTS: More from The Washington Blade.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-february-4-2019?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed