Patrick Stewart kisses Conan O’Brien – and Conan likes it

Patrick Stewart kisses Conan O’Brien – and Conan likes it

Patrick Stewart made clear during his appearance this week on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show that Ian McKellen is not the only man he kisses on the lips.

O’Brien brought up the same-sex smooching by showing a photo of Stewart locking lips with McKellen at the recent premiere of Mr. Holmes and said: ‘You guys went in for a kiss in front of all the press!’

Stewart, who is straight, explained that he and the openly gay McKellen ‘are very good friends and quite intimate friends. That’s how we greet one another or say goodbye. But Ian isn’t the only one – I don’t want you to think that I’m a one man guy.’

When O’Brien continued on the topic, Stewart asked: ‘Do you want to try it out? You were looking at me in a way that I recognize.’

With that, Stewart walked over to O’Brien and planted one on him.

The host took a moment to collect himself then exclaimed: ‘That was fantastic! I felt passion. … I felt that you finally accepted me as your better.’

The post Patrick Stewart kisses Conan O’Brien – and Conan likes it appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/patrick-stewart-kisses-conan-obrien-and-conan-likes-it/

Freshly Out Rugby Star Keegan Hirst Shares First Nude Photo Shoot

Freshly Out Rugby Star Keegan Hirst Shares First Nude Photo Shoot

If you only get fifteen minutes of fame, you might as well bask in them…naked.

At least that’s the strategy rugby star Keegan Hirst is going with.

Related: Rugby Star Comes Out, Talks Years Of Struggle: “I Tick Every Macho Box. How Could I Be Gay?”

The hunky 27-year-old Brit came out on Monday, revealing candid details of his years of personal struggle.

“The only time I felt free of the torment was when I stepped on the rugby pitch,” he admitted, adding “Now I feel free.”

Related: PHOTOS: When Sinfully-Sexy Soccer Players Are Caught In Compromising Positions

Well he certainly looks “free” in the left half of the below photo, as he and another player engage in a little handball for the camera.

We aren’t mad:

keegan hirst nude1

 

Dan Tracer

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White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

Screen Shot 2015-08-18 at 9.18.20 AM

The White House made good on its promises to tackle transgender issues and appointed its first openly transgender staff member to the Office of Presidential Personnel this Monday reports The Wall Street Journal.

Former trans advocacy and policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Racial & Economic Justice Initiative Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is now taking the role of outreach and recruitment director for the president’s personnel office, overseeing presidential appointments and recruiting candidates for services within the government.

Gay former Massachusetts lawmaker and Executive Director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts applauded the White House’s appointment of Freedman-Gurspan and lauded her achievements:

“Among her many contributions, she was instrumental in helping pass the Transgender Equal Rights Law. I am proud to see her continue to lead by example, as she takes her voice and her passion to the White House. Her hiring is a symbol of progress for the transgender community, but without a doubt I know it will be her skill and hard work that will benefit many.”

Although the Obama administration already has several transgender people employed in federal government positions, Freedman-Gurspan is the first official transgender White House staffer employed by the federal government.

President Obama’s appointment of Freedman-Gurspan comes at a critical time as violent incidents against transgender people have accelerated in the month of August alone and increased overall from last year. Obama was also heckled in June at a Pride event by a transgender attendee calling for justice for deported trans individuals.

(Photo via Facebook)

The post White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer appeared first on Towleroad.


Anthony Costello

White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

Screen Shot 2015-08-18 at 9.18.20 AM

The White House made good on its promises to tackle transgender issues and appointed its first openly transgender staff member to the Office of Presidential Personnel this Monday reports The Wall Street Journal.

Former trans advocacy and policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Racial & Economic Justice Initiative Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is now taking the role of outreach and recruitment director for the president’s personnel office, overseeing presidential appointments and recruiting candidates for services within the government.

Gay former Massachusetts lawmaker and Executive Director of the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts applauded the White House’s appointment of Freedman-Gurspan and lauded her achievements:

“Among her many contributions, she was instrumental in helping pass the Transgender Equal Rights Law. I am proud to see her continue to lead by example, as she takes her voice and her passion to the White House. Her hiring is a symbol of progress for the transgender community, but without a doubt I know it will be her skill and hard work that will benefit many.”

Although the Obama administration already has several transgender people employed in federal government positions, Freedman-Gurspan is the first official transgender White House staffer employed by the federal government.

President Obama’s appointment of Freedman-Gurspan comes at a critical time as violent incidents against transgender people have accelerated in the month of August alone and increased overall from last year. Obama was also heckled in June at a Pride event by a transgender attendee calling for justice for deported trans individuals.

(Photo via Facebook)

The post White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer appeared first on Towleroad.


Anthony Costello

White House Appoints First Openly Transgender Staffer

White House Hires Its First Openly Transgender Staffer

White House Hires Its First Openly Transgender Staffer

President Barack Obama’s administration has appointed the first-ever transgender White House staffer.   

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, a transgender woman, is the Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. She started her new job Tuesday.

Previously, Freedman-Gurspan was a staff member at the National Center for Transgender Equality, where she served as policy advisor for the organization’s Racial and Economic Justice Initiative.

“President Obama has long said he wants his Administration to look like the American people,” NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling said. “That the first transgender appointee is a transgender woman of color is itself significant.”

Valerie Jarrett, a White House senior advisor, echoed Keisling’s sentiments.

“Raffi Freedman-Gurspan demonstrates the kind of leadership this Administration champions,” Jarrett said in a statement. “Her commitment to bettering the lives of transgender Americans, particularly transgender people of color and those in poverty, reflects the values of this Administration.”

Dylan Orr was the first-ever transgender presidential political appointee in 2009, serving as a special assistant for the Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. The following year, Amanda Simpson became the first openly transgender female political appointee when she became the Senior Technical Adviser to the Commerce Department

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Stunning family home turns Chicago church inside out

Stunning family home turns Chicago church inside out

If, upon stepping through the doors of a church, you expect to encounter pews made of rustic wood rather than sleek, hyper-modern family home, this Chicago project will show you that things are not always as it says on the tin.

Old meets new: in the entrance hall, a bench stands reminiscent of the building's former purpose.

Old meets new: in the entrance hall, a bench stands reminiscent of the building’s former purpose.

Designed and created by Linc Thelen Design and Scrafano Architects, the 5500 square foot church was transformed from a place of worship into a busy family’s hip new home.

The great room, hosting a dining area, kitchen and lounge, is the home's heart.

The great room, hosting a dining area, kitchen and lounge, is the home’s heart.

Boasting seven bedrooms and six baths, the family of five makes the most of the church’s 5500 square feet (510.96 square meters), with enough space for guests – or a new family member, for that matter.

The master suite is only one of seven bedrooms in the converted church.

The master suite is only one of seven bedrooms in the converted church.

Showcasing the property’s historic details, including its original, stunning stained-glass windows, exposed brickwork and ceiling turnbuckles, the property doesn’t cut back on modern conveniences – there is, after all, enough room for both.

Modern fittings meet stained glass: a recurring topic throughout the home.

Modern fittings meet stained glass: a recurring topic throughout the home.

A great number of interiors, including the kitchen, the kitchen island’s light fixtures and dining room table, have been designed by Linc Thelen; some of them were fabricated by Thelen, too, while others were custom-made by Home Things.

A great number of furnishings were made especially for the conversion.

A great number of furnishings were made especially for the conversion.

Elegant, high-quality floor tiles and vanities mixing vintage elements with modern bathroom fittings give the bathrooms an atmosphere of sophistication without being impractical.

The bathrooms are a prime example of combining vintage ideas and modern fittings.

The bathrooms are a prime example of combining vintage ideas and modern fittings.

The children’s bedrooms are cheerful, with bright wallpapers from Spoon Flower and Serena and Lily, and offer plenty of room to play and grow – the highlight being a rock-climbing wall integrated into the boys’ bedroom.

Guaranteed to make others jealous: the boys' bedroom comes with a rock climbing wall.

Guaranteed to make others jealous: the boys’ bedroom comes with a rock climbing wall.

A see-through fireplace, cladded in quartz from Transceramica, and sleek furniture from DWR link comfort and contemporary design in the living room, while the kitchen’s quartz worktops and light color scheme contribute to the great room’s open, airy feeling.

A see-through fireplace makes it possible to look through walls - into the kitchen.

A see-through fireplace makes it possible to look through walls – into the kitchen.

Its soaring 25 foot (7.62 meter) high ceilings are as much part of the property as the 7 foot (2.13 meter) height in the more intimate rooms; throughout the home, history and modernity clash to create an eclectic, exciting mix.

Like the nursery, the more intimate rooms feature normal-height ceilings.

Like the nursery, the more intimate rooms feature normal-height ceilings.

In order to give the home its unique atmosphere, extensive restoration was needed – from exposing the great room’s timber beams, making them a focal point, to inserting a floating steel staircase offset against more rustic elements.

The historic bell tower has also been integrated into the new home: once housing the furnace, it has been transformed into a perch overlooking downtown Chicago by adding new windows and a glass floor.

All pictures courtesy of Jim Tschetter for Linc Thelen Design.

The post Stunning family home turns Chicago church inside out appeared first on Gay Star News.

Stefanie Gerdes

www.gaystarnews.com/article/stunning-family-home-turns-chicago-church-inside-out/

Republican Lawmaker Who Pretended To Be Sleeping With A Rentboy Has Biblical Meltdown

Republican Lawmaker Who Pretended To Be Sleeping With A Rentboy Has Biblical Meltdown

Screen Shot 2015-08-18 at 8.48.52 AMHere’s a shocker: The Michigan lawmaker who was caught fabricating a gay sex scandal to cover up his actual affair is proving himself to be a little unhinged. Who would have thought?

Rep. Todd Courser (R), a tea party lawmaker, has now taken to Facebook to…apologize? Well, not quite. Resign? Oh, definitely not. Squirm around in his own guilt and shame for no real apparent reason? Yeah, something like that.

Related: Republican Lawmaker Fakes His Own Gay Sex Scandal To Hide Real Sex Scandal, Fails

“I am now the poster boy for those who would say ‘God is dead,’ or ‘Christians are failures,’ or ‘Christians are hypocrites,’” he writes. “Instantly I have been shown to be a hypocrite in my life, a liar, a laughable joke; much if not all of that is presently justified.”

Then there’s lots of to-be-expected Christ talk, which reads as typical guilty remorse. “He is still Holy and still righteous and still gave His all on the cross at Calvary so we can have salvation in Him,” Courser preaches from his keyboard.

Related: Grindr Screenshots Reveal Antigay Pastor Is A Top Who Likes To Cuddle

Though he’s a first-time legislator, Courser has already pulled the Jesus card when voting on issues like marriage equality and abortion rights (as did Cindy Gamrat, the married fellow Tea Partier he was actually sleeping with), so we aren’t exactly sympathetic to his little scheme not going smoothly.

“The most brutal things I have had to endure in my life have been brought from and thru this experience – the public humiliation was small and insignificant when compared to having telling [sic] my wife and children and my family – death will be a much richer reward,” he continues in the scripture-filled post.

Boo-hoo.

Dan Tracer

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