Production to Begin on Reality TV Series Based Around Iconic WeHo Gay Bar ‘The Abbey’

West Hollywood’s iconic gay bar-restaurant-entertainment complex The Abbey and its staff are the subject of a new reality TV series for which some shooting has already been done, The Wrap reports:

The Abbey founder and president David Cooley greeted 500 of his closest friends at his birthday party at the iconic West Hollywood gay bar on Tuesday night and surprised guests with the announcement he had reacquired 100 percent ownership of the club…The celebration was being filmed and it turns out the cameras capturing his festive occasion were not just for posterity, but the footage being shot was setting the stage for an opening storyline of a reality series centered on the gay bar.

Patrons should be prepared to see cameras at the restaurant “soon”, says The Abbey’s publicist.

The block where The Abbey is located also includes Real Housewife Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant Pump, which is already the subject of a Bravo reality series, Vanderpump Rules. It’s unclear where Cooley’s show will find a home on TV:

Cooley declined to provide specifics about whether a network, or which one, had commissioned the shooting underway, but did say that he is not self-financing the production. Cooley is working with Banijay, the reality production company headed by former Endemol topper David Goldberg, that also counts “I Am Cait”, the Kardashians franchise, and E!’s “Total Divas” amongst its formats.

Cooley told The Wrap the show would focus on the “positive” aspects of his business: “It will not be ‘who is sleeping with who’ and me yelling as the ‘yelling boss.’”

The post Production to Begin on Reality TV Series Based Around Iconic WeHo Gay Bar ‘The Abbey’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Production to Begin on Reality TV Series Based Around Iconic WeHo Gay Bar ‘The Abbey’

Madonna Won't Return to Russia Because of Antigay Laws

‘I don’t want to perform in places where being homosexual is tantamount to a crime,’ the singer says.

read more

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/08/15/madonna-wont-return-russia-because-antigay-laws

Another trans murder in Detroit

Late last week, an activist organization reported the murder of a transgender individual. According to a Michigan Equality statement, on 14 July the body of 25-year-old Ashton O’Hara was discovered in a Detroit field.

‘Ashton did identify as transgender, and was genderfluid,’ the statement said. ‘He was still using male pronouns at the time of his untimely death.’

Michigan Live reports the Detroit Police Department arrested a suspect, Larry B. Gaulding. He faces first-degree murder charges and a trial starts next month.

According to Ashton’s mother, Rebecca O’Hara, the city’s officers deserve praise for the work on her child’s death.

‘They have been so considerate,’ she said in the Michigan Equality release. ‘I was shocked that they actually care about who he was. They were so sincere.’

This is the second transgender murder in Detroit in the past month. On 8 August Amber Monroe’s body was discovered. The Anti-Violence Project reports that Ashton’s murder is, this year,  ‘the fourteenth homicide of a transgender or gender non-conforming person, 12 of whom were transgender women of color.’

“As we remember Ashton O’Hara and all of the transgender and gender non-conforming we have
lost to violence, we demand immediate action on a national level to end this violent epidemic,’ Shelby
Chestnut, co-director of community organizing and public advocacy at the AVP, said in a statement.

The post Another trans murder in Detroit appeared first on Gay Star News.

James Withers

www.gaystarnews.com/article/another-trans-murder-in-detroit/

Group Leading Boycott Against Ted Cruz-Supporting Gay Hoteliers Shuts Down

A Facebook group that led the efforts to boycott establishments owned by gay hoteliers Ian Reisner and Mati Wiederpass in the wake of a controversial “fireside chat” with Sen. Ted Cruz has announced it will be shutting down later this month.

Read the “Boycott Fire Island Pines Establishments & Out NYC Hotel” page’s final statement in part:

Mr. Reisner and Mr. Weiderpass chose to be LGBTQ community business owners. They chose to build a ‘for-profit’ brand within the LGBTQ community. No one forced them into that arena. Being a part of a community comes with a level of responsibility to the community from which you profit. It means embracing the genuine responsibility to stand with us and not against us. A portion of the community will never step foot inside their establishments again. A portion of the community has shown up regardless. However, many of us believe this is one of those great teachable moments in our movement. We did not go from 25% nationwide public support of same-sex marriage to over 60% in just 15 years without hard work, education, and many teachable moments. We know there are many people who want to “grind” their businesses into the ground, as long as they stay involved. That is a complicated approach. There are other investors, employees, bartenders, waiters, DJ’s, drag queens, and non-profit organizations (just to name a few), all of whom have no attachment to this issue but depend on these businesses for income. There are 500+ homeowners and 1,000+ summer shareholders who have a personal interest in the Fire Island Pines community. The list of complexities goes on and on. […]

We feel at this point in time that nothing further needs to be addressed as we have presented all the facts recently insofar as all the developments that have lead us here. The boycott, whether you were in support of it or against it, was a moment in our history to hold two gay men accountable for their actions. The rest now is up to each of you. It always has been. Personal choices are difficult, especially when they are not popular, but each of us must do what we feel is right for ourselves and the beliefs we hold strongly in our hearts.

While Marriage Equality is now a part of all 50 states, the hate and anger by the GOP continues and it is causing a domino effect in our country. Hate crimes are up and daily we see a stronger support for those who want to work against the rights we won. We have quoted in the past, “victory blindness,” and we must not fall prey to it. There is much work to be done.

The group is set to close August 20.

Related, Gay Hotelier Ian Reisner Lied About Cutting Check for Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign

Edge Media adds:

During the life of the boycott page, it gained the support of LGBT activist groups ACT UP and Queer Nation and even received an endorsement from noted gay author Armistead Maupin (who admitted he had never been to Fire Island). The page garnered over 11,000 likes – an inordinate amount considering that the seasonal population of Fire Island Pines is estimated between 2,500 and 3,000.

Early in the game, the group quickly came under fire for its original lack of transparency in leadership which lead to innuendos that the group was somehow a front being run by Jeff McGovern, a manager under one of the properties’ previous owners Eric Von Kuersteiner who is rumored to have offered to buy Reisner’s share in the properties for an undisclosed figure. This was categorically denied online.

The post Group Leading Boycott Against Ted Cruz-Supporting Gay Hoteliers Shuts Down appeared first on Towleroad.

Kyler Geoffroy

Group Leading Boycott Against Ted Cruz-Supporting Gay Hoteliers Shuts Down

Right-Wing Website Blasts GLAAD Guide to Covering Pope Francis

The Daily Caller calls GLAAD’s guide ‘oppressive’ in advising journalists covering the papal visit how to avoid missteps in reporting on the church’s relations with LGBT Catholics.

read more

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/media/2015/08/15/right-wing-website-blasts-glaad-guide-covering-pope-francis

Dolce & Gabbana's Domenico Dolce Apologizes For Anti-IVF, Anti-Gay Adoption Remarks

Italian fashion designer Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana has apologized for controversial comments he made opposing gay adoption and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

“I’ve done some soul-searching,” Dolce told Vogue in an interview published Friday. “I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I realized my words were inappropriate, and I apologize.”

The designers, who are both openly gay, came under fire in March when Dolce told Italian magazine Panorama “we oppose gay adoptions” and “the only family is the traditional one.”

He also made disparaging remarks about children born via IVF procedures.

“You are born to a mother and a father, or at least that’s how it should be,” he said. “I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented uterus, semen chosen from a catalog.”

The significant public backlash included a call for Dolce & Gabbana boycott from Sir Elton John. Both designers initially defended the comments.

“We talked about our way of seeing reality, but it was never our intention to judge other people’s choices,” Gabbana said in an Instagram post at the time. “We do believe in freedom and love.”

Dolce made similar statements, saying he was only “talking about my personal view” and “the reality in which I grew up.”

Speaking to Vogue this month, however, both designers expressed a more thorough change of heart.

“They are just kids,” Dolce told the magazine. “You don’t need labels, baby labels. I think everybody chooses for themselves. I don’t know everything about IVF, but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.”

Contact the author of this article at [email protected].

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677065/s/49038bdc/sc/14/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0C20A150C0A80C150Cdolce0Egabbana0Eapology0Eadoption0Eivf0In0I79925840Bhtml0Dutm0Ihp0Iref0Fgay0Evoices0Gir0FGay0KVoices/story01.htm

White House asked to investigate spike in murders of trans women

A petition has been placed on the White House website demanding for a federal investigation of the high number of murders of transgender women of color.

‘For transgender women of color, safety is a real and warranted concern,’ the petition says. ‘We are asking the administration to raise awareness and take action to keep this community safe, by conducting a formal investigation of these deaths occurring across the county to the targeted community of transgender women, particularly women of color.’

According to numbers provided by the Anti-Violence Project, since this past January there have been 14 homicides of transgender or gender non-conforming people, ’12 of whom were transgender women of color.’

To get a response from the White House, the petition must have 100,000 signatures by 10 September. As of this writing, 944 people have signed.

To sign, please go here.

The post White House asked to investigate spike in murders of trans women appeared first on Gay Star News.

James Withers

www.gaystarnews.com/article/white-house-asked-to-investigate-spike-in-murders-of-trans-women/

The Top 6 Upcoming, Offbeat Gay Tours and Cruises You Should Know About

In the waning days of summer, we’re all breathlessly plotting our last visits of the season to Fire Island, Provincetown and Rehoboth Beach. But be sure to save a little vacation time and budget for more exotic locales with our top upcoming gay tours and cruises. Travel among friends with one of these ManAboutWorld-recommended tour operators offering gay tours and cruises near and far. We’ve even thrown in a super exotic one for late spring 2016. (Can you say dragon?)

The destinations are amazing, the conveyances are cool, and you’ll be in the happy company of other gay guys. Here are a half dozen of the best and most interesting. For more, be sure to download the latest issue of ManAboutWorld.

SOURCE EVENTS
Treasures of Venice and the Dalmatian Coast Cruise
September 12-19
Picture yourself on an elegant five-masted luxury sailing yacht, silently coursing towards a medieval, beautifully preserved and bustling Adriatic port along the dramatic Croatian coast, cocktail in one hand, your partner in the other amid 226 other gay male guests. If you’ve enjoyed larger ship cruises, this is what you should graduate to. There are still a few staterooms available.

CODA-TOURS
Undiscovered Balkans
September 16-30
This is a land-based tour in the same gorgeous part of the world as the Source Events cruise. Explore Ottoman sites, Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox monasteries, and dramatic landscapes from Sofia to Belgrade, among other gay men. This is Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited territory, boasting diverse cultures that have left their legacy across the Balkan Peninsula.

ZOOM VACATIONS
Gay India
October 16-28
For a first-time visitor, India, with over 1.2 billion inhabitants, can be overwhelming; also beautiful, diverse, warm, chaotic and a kaleidoscope of contrasts. Zoom has plenty of experience with first-time (and repeat) visitors to the Indian subcontinent. Their trips combine luxurious accommodations and seemingly effortless organization to provide guests with a fantastic introduction to the country.

ATLANTIS EVENTS
Club Atlantis Vallarta
November 1-8
You’ve heard of Atlantis Events cruises, but did you know they also do land-based resort weeks? It’s like a cruise in that the entire space is devoted to mostly gay male (with occasional women) guests. In addition to parties, entertainment, accommodations and food, your drinks are also included along with an array of activities from mild to demanding overseen by Atlantis’s ever-fun group of hosts. The event takes place at the Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta (near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico).

BRAND G VACATIONS
Panama Canal Adventure
December 2-15
Welcome aboard the 105-stateroom M.S. Saint Laurent charted by Brand g Vacations for you and 200 fellow LGBT travelers. This cruise has you pass through the marvelous Panama Canal (a must-see on your bucket list) and along the glass towers of Panama City. You’ll visit islands, beaches and jungles, including the gorgeous Manuel Antonio National Park. It leaves Cartagena, Colombia and ends in Costa Rica.

OUT ADVENTURES
Bali & Komodo Gay Cruise and Tour
April 29-May 6, 2016
Have you ever seen active volcanoes? Here’s your chance to do that plus visit the Water Palace of Amlapura, snorkel pristine coral reefs in Kondo and witness thousands of flying foxes in Satonda. And the best of all: You’ll see the famous Komodo dragons up close. Oh and did we mention that you’ll get to loll on some of Indonesia’s most beautiful deserted beaches? Yep, all this with the fantastic men of Out Adventure.

Photos: Top: Balkans courtesy Coda Tours; Middle: India courtesy Zoom Vacations; Bottom: Komodo Dragon on Komodo Island, Indonesia by Stephen Bugno.

This weekly travel column is brought to you by ManAboutWorld, an immersive digital gay travel magazine for iOS and Android devices from Ed Salvato, Billy Kolber, Kenny Porpora, and nearly 75 Global Correspondents. For more recommendations from ManAboutWorld’s global gay experts, download our App. There are FREE guides and a 10-issue-per-year subscription-based magazine.

Please click HERE and LIKE our page on Facebook. Select “get notifications” in pulldown menu to receive our headlines in your feed.

The post The Top 6 Upcoming, Offbeat Gay Tours and Cruises You Should Know About appeared first on Towleroad.

Ed Salvato

www.towleroad.com/2015/08/gay-tours-and-cruises/

Stonewall’s Jeremy Irvine Has Moved On; John Stamos Is A Dirty Boy

This week, Andy Cohen and John Mayer found euphoria in a gay bar, Stonewall’s Jeremy Irvine isn’t going down without a fight and Kristen Stewart addressed reports that she swims in the lady waters. Here’s what happened on Instagram:

Patrick and Agustin are reunited!

#tbt to last week’s HAMILTON opening, one of the best nights of 2015! Just like our characters, I’m making sure Groff keeps eating his feelings… @lookinghbo @lookinghbola #patrick #agustin Repost @stringy72 with @repostapp. ??? Always eating!! #Looking #Patrick #Augustin

A photo posted by Frankie J. Alvarez (@sexytosomeppl) on Aug 13, 2015 at 10:43am PDT

  Catfish‘s Nev Schulman is a winner, baby.

  ?1st place in this mornings half marathon. #nbd   A photo posted by Nev Schulman (@nevschulman) on Aug 9, 2015 at 12:30pm PDT

Benjamin Day likes a nibble now and then.

When Bae’s ignoring you ? #foreversleepy

A photo posted by ?E????I? ??Y (@ben_acaibrothers) on Jul 31, 2015 at 10:28pm PDT

Russell Tovey just needs a pair of wings.

My kinda bridge… See ya later #isleofman #goodbyeFairies   A photo posted by Russelltovey (@russelltovey) on Aug 11, 2015 at 4:21am PDT

That old crack about not making passes at men who wear glasses probably doesn’t apply to Ricky Martin.

Dormido. Despierto. Dormido. Despierto. A photo posted by Ricky (@ricky_martin) on Aug 7, 2015 at 2:21am PDT

The Rock and Zac Efron as lifeguards in the Baywatch movie make us want to forget we can swim.

Cool to see the INSANE global reaction to our announcement yesterday for Zac Effron to co-star with me in BAYWATCH. Clearly he’s one unattractive sumbitch but he’s a great dude who’s ready to make something epic. BAYWATCH is the most successful TV property of all time, so I’m fired up to produce it along with my long time producing partner Beau Flynn and legendary Ivan Reitman. Director Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief) has a dope vision and is ready to roll. Over the past few years I’ve taken careful steps with this franchise cause we want to do it right – big, fun, global, sexy and bad ass mixed in with “This is my beach bitch” kind of RATED R comedy. We’ll start shooting at the top of 2016 and one more thing.. just wait ’til you see who we cast for our girls…. #WhoWantsToBeSaved? #MouthToMouthForEverybody #WellNotEverybody #AssemblingAnEpicTeamOfLifeguards #BAYWATCH   A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Aug 11, 2015 at 2:40pm PDT

Bianca Del Rio came between Neil Patrick Harris and a newly-blond David Burtka.

ROLODEX OF HATE! Always a pleasure to see these two, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka! @nph ???? #ptown #goodtimes #lovethem #sweetguys   A photo posted by Bianca Del Rio (@thebiancadelrio) on Aug 12, 2015 at 7:05am PDT

NickJo has a ginormous announcement.

 

My new single, “Levels” drops August 21st. I’ll perform it live for the first time ever on the VMA pre-show. Also, this afternoon from 1-4 PST, I will be taking over MTV’s snapchat and Instagram. Check it out. #NJLevelsVMAs

 

A video posted by @nickjonas on Aug 13, 2015 at 5:08am PDT

Stonewall‘s Jeremy Irvine isn’t letting a proposed boycott keep him down. He’s already finished another film.

Wrapped #ThisBeautifulFantastic movie on Monday! …just in time to come out and see mini me on holiday for a couple of days ? #Bros #FamilyTime A photo posted by Jeremy Irvine (@_jeremyirvine) on Aug 13, 2015 at 12:31am PDT

Meet Damon Wayans Jr.‘s new beard.

 

Me & my beard will be performing this weekend @ the FUNNY BONE COMEDY CLUB w/ @Shawn_Wayans in HARTFORD CT!!! Aug 7-9th! ? there!!! …(Giggles like a Japanese geisha girl with a fan in front of her face)

 

A photo posted by Damon Wayans Yunior? (@mrdamon2) on Aug 4, 2015 at 12:32am PDT

Maybe Josh Duhamel got a hole in one?

Thank you Cobra golf for the new clubs! They’re great for hitting balls at the paparazzi… A photo posted by Josh Duhamel (@joshduhamel) on Aug 8, 2015 at 10:51am PDT

Ah, to see the world through Jared Leto‘s eyes.

 

Damn that pig has some balls

 

A photo posted by JARED LETO (@jaredleto) on Aug 11, 2015 at 3:10pm PDT

What point do you think Ryan Lochte is trying to make?

Nailed it!! ????? A photo posted by @ryanlochte on Aug 14, 2015 at 3:46am PDT

Does Cazwell even own a shirt?

 

HAPPY PRIDE Charlotte North Carolina! I’m performing at the ShipRocked party at Snug Harbor in half hour. I actually started my career in Charlotte North Carolina doing a lot of touring back in the day with Avenue D. I love the people in this town they are so hospitable warmhearted and fashionable. Can’t wait to put on a great show tonight!

 

A photo posted by CAZWELL (@cazwellnyc) on Aug 13, 2015 at 8:55pm PDT

Kellan Lutz is always the center of attention.

I wanted to send a huge thank you to the @blackjaguarwhitetiger organization on the work they are doing to protect and rescue these beautiful animals…you are my hero Eddie. #WorldLionDay A photo posted by Kellan Lutz (@kellanlutz) on Aug 10, 2015 at 8:54pm PDT

Father of two Perez Hilton knows about a Full House so he’s starring in the stage version of the hit series.

 

My home for the next 4 weeks!!! This theater is so cool!!! It used to be a church!!! And it’s huge!!! 500 seats!!! FullHouseTheMusical.com

 

A photo posted by perezhilton (@perezhilton) on Aug 13, 2015 at 9:36am PDT

Andy Cohen will just have a little off the sides, please.

A photo posted by Andy Cohen (@bravoandy) on Aug 10, 2015 at 12:22pm PDT

We’ve always secretly believed John Stamos was a dirty boy.

Only a real man can pull off the Dirty Boys. And I’m not one of them.

A photo posted by John Stamos (@johnstamos) on Aug 10, 2015 at 3:51pm PDT

Even a bad hair day for River Viiper is better than a good hair day for some people.

Not a good hair day… ?

A photo posted by RiverViiperi (@riverviiperi) on Aug 11, 2015 at 9:11am PDT

Luke Casey is ready for Aussie marriage equality.

Come on Australia get with the times, whether you love your dog, best mate, yourself or even a bottle of wine on a Friday Arvo. Who are we to judge?

A photo posted by @luke_casey on Aug 11, 2015 at 4:50am PDT

Does this mean we can call Cristiano Ronaldo “Daddy?”

Like Dad like Son???

A photo posted by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Aug 14, 2015 at 8:36am PDT

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/CqacoG36oTk/stonewalls-jeremy-irvine-has-moved-on-john-stamos-is-a-dirty-boy-20150815

Fashion Duo Dolce & Gabbana Apologize For Anti-Gay Adoption and IVF Comments

Fashion maestros Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who once called in vitro fertilization babies “chemical offspring” from a “rented uterus,” have both finally apologized for their anti-gay adoption and IVF statements they gave earlier this year in Vogue’s September issue, reports People.

The duo’s inflammatory comments on preferring “traditional families” caused outrage worldwide with celebrities boycotting the Dolce & Gabbana brand, leading to a top exec stepping down while the designers withdrew from the public. Dolce said he reflected on his views and found them out of line:

“I’ve done some soul-searching. I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realized that my words were inappropriate, and I apologize. They are just kids. You don’t need labels, baby labels.” And as far as IVF goes, he says he’s changed his tune. “I think everybody chooses for themselves. I don’t know everything about IVF, but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.”

Both designers said reflecting on their first interview in 1999 when they revealed that they were gay is what ultimately changed their mind regarding IVF and non-traditional families:

“We made our first interview saying we are gay in 1999 … We lived together, and we talked about love, not sex or being gay. And it was headline TV news in Italy. But for us, it was normal!”

“Who needs an institution to tell us how to love? … We shouldn’t become too rigid. We need to understand, accept everyone.”

Dolce & Gabbana initially attempted damage control, not once but twice, back in March when they appeared on CNN to explain their comments but neither designer apologized for their comments in the interview. Watch the two attempt to salvage their image and brand, below:

The post Fashion Duo Dolce & Gabbana Apologize For Anti-Gay Adoption and IVF Comments appeared first on Towleroad.

Anthony Costello

www.towleroad.com/2015/08/dolce-gabbana-apology/