News: Johnny Depp, #BlackLivesMatter, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Martian

> Five times Josh Duggar attacked gay marriage as a threat to families.

> Johnny Depp shows off some smolder for Dior’s new fragrance Sauvage.

> Social Security Administration says it will retroactively apply the Obergefell ruling to spousal benefits.

> Over 130 civil rights groups ask Obama to end Bush-era exemptions from nondiscrimination laws for religious groups seeking federal grants.

> Inside the State Department’s fight for the rights of gay envoys.

> Aboriginal leaders in Australia is petition against same-sex marriage.

> Family of #BlackLivesMatter activist Shaun White tell CNN he’s white.

> First photos of Lady Gaga on the set of American Horror Story: Hotel.

> Mike Huckabee has a very Mike Huckabee trip to Israel.

> Barney Frank on how gay marriage is like legalizing pot. “Today, with tens of millions of people living where marijuana use is legal, there is still no coherent narrative that demonstrates that society suffers. Opponents are where the same-sex marriage opponents were a few years ago—arguing that personal choices that affect only those who indulge are so offensive to non-users that they should be outlawed.”

> Wyoming judicial panel investigating a local magistrate who was quoted saying she wouldn’t perform same-sex marriages.

> Turns out feaux-candidate Deez Nuts, who is polling 9% in North Carolina against Trump and Clinton, is pro-gay marriage.

> Zac Efron is working hard promoting We Are Your Friends.

> Everybody is freaking out over Jennifer Aniston’s wedding band.

> Joseph Gordon-Levitt is now a daddy.

> Why NASA helped Ridley Scot create The Martian. “If you want to understand why it is that NASA loves The Martian and is so gung ho for this movie, you have to realize that this movie more or less presents exactly their future vision, minus all the drama.”

> Meet the young leader competing to be the first openly gay man in space.

> Check out this graph of the most surprising and disappointing TV series finales ever.

> Jimmy Carter says cancer has spread to his brain.

> Donald Trump leads Jeb Bush in Florida.

> Movie stars and athletes say #BlackLivesMatter means stopping the spread of HIV.

> EasyJet passenger tasered in London after dispute over carry-on “man purse.”

The post News: Johnny Depp, #BlackLivesMatter, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Martian appeared first on Towleroad.

Kyler Geoffroy

News: Johnny Depp, #BlackLivesMatter, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Martian

New Film Highlights LGBT Imperial Council of San Francisco

The oldest, and most glamorous, surviving LGBT charity organization in the U.S. gets the documentary it deserves.

read more

Adam Sandel

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/08/19/50-years-fabulous-new-film-highlights-sf-s-imperial-council

Here Are The First Photos Of Lady Gaga On The 'American Horror Story: Hotel' Set

We finally have our first look at Lady Gaga‘s character on the set of  “American Horror Story: Hotel,” and she looks pretty Gaga-esque.

Gaga’s Elizabeth, the Countess and owner of Season 5’s Hotel Cortez, was spotted filming on location for the series on Wednesday night outside of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Wearing a red caped gown and the metal arm piece from the first “Hotel” teaser, Gaga walks through Chris Burden’s street lamp sculpture at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance to the museum as some sort of black tie party takes place around her.

A fan also uploaded a video to YouTube of Mother Monster entering the sculpture to the music of Dinah Washington’s “Coquette.”

So what could it all mean? For starters, the footage left some fans on Reddit perplexed as they theorized whether or not “Hotel” will be set in the present day. Although FX President John Landgraf previously said it’s his “hope” that Season 5 takes place in the modern day, the network has yet to reveal exactly what era the show will be in. But this new footage could give us some clues.

Burden’s sculpture “Urban Light” was installed outside the museum in 2008. If “Hotel” is acknowledging the piece’s real-life location at LACMA, then we can expect at least some episodes to take place sometime between ’08 and today. But, Ryan Murphy also might be using the sculpture to reference the era of them lamps themselves. Burden’s piece is made up of restored cast iron street lamps from the 1920s and ’30s. Could it also take place then?

One thing we can guess is that “Hotel” will likely flash to the years 1989 or 1990 when Aileen Wuornos murdered several men — Lily Rabe will portray the infamous serial killer this season. Knowing Murphy’s style though, “Hotel” will probably jump between a variety of eras.

“American Horror Story: Hotel” premieres on Oct. 7 on FX.

Also on HuffPost:

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Two Hunky Brits Share A Kiss Before Doing The Dumbest Thing You Will Ever See

There are many words that come to mind to describe this group of British pals — stupid, belligerent and beefy to name a few.

But hey, at least they aren’t homophobic? Is that progress? We’re not really sure.

Related: Straight Man Unsure About His Buddy’s Shower Room Butt-Slapping Antics

What we are sure about, however, is this is unquestionably the dumbest thing you will see today:

Dan Tracer

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Morrissey Says He Was Ass-Fingered by the TSA, Calls Suicide ‘Admirable’ in Larry King Interview: WATCH

Morrissey sat down with Larry King on ORA TV for his first in-person interview in nearly a decade, and offered his uniquely Morrissey opinion on a wide variety of topics.

On politics, Morrissey calls the current crop of Republicans “insane” and believes the country is ready for Hillary Clinton. He discusses his criticism of President Obama and believes Obama has not helped the Black community in America because he has not given enough attention to issues like Ferguson.

Says Morrissey: “Obama, is he white inside? It’s a very logical question. But I think he probably is.”

The former Smiths frontman also tells King how much he hates the music industry, calling it “brutal.”

“Because music appears to be dying and people have found other things to do. I think that the major labels want to grab as much as they can as quickly as possible so therefore they just watch those horrible talent show things with those small children and they sign them and make quick money…It’s only, only about marketing.”

Morrissey also discusses his ongoing battle with depression and though he has never considered it, calls those who commit suicide over their depression “admirable”. He talks about being diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and says he occasionally has it ‘scraped’ for treatment.

On depression, he says:

“I’ve had it for many years. I refer to it as the ‘black dog’. It doesn’t go away. It’s usually the very first thing when you wake up, there is no cure, and I think it’s part of being a sensitive, open human. I don’t [take medication], I’ve been through everything, it’s pointless. It’s a frame of mind, a state of mind, it’s circumstantial…[Suicide] crosses everyone’s mind…they think about just disappearing, and having enough, and many people do. Just taking control and saying no more, no more of this silliness. And it’s admirable.”

Last month Morrissey also made news for being groped by TSA agents and accused them of assault. He doesn’t think anything will come of it.

“He put his finger down my rear cleavage,” says Moz. “I had been through the full scanner and the second bit, but then he went straight for my private bits and then he put his finger down my rear cleavage.”

Watch all the clips below.

On politics:

On depression:

On cancer:

On the ‘brutal’ music business:

On his TSA groping incident:

The post Morrissey Says He Was Ass-Fingered by the TSA, Calls Suicide ‘Admirable’ in Larry King Interview: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

Morrissey Says He Was Ass-Fingered by the TSA, Calls Suicide ‘Admirable’ in Larry King Interview: WATCH

Uber Driver Does Karaoke With Passengers

Uber driver Jonathan Gaurano has won the internet this week with a video of his in-car karaoke with passengers.

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Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/video/2015/08/20/uber-driver-does-karaoke-passengers

The Truth About Phone Sex Fantasies, As Told By The People Who Create Them

“As a virgin, it was hard for me to talk about sex to horny men.” 

“I share myself with individuals who’re not getting what they need at home.”

“My callers are people with a different sexual appetite.”

These are just a few thoughts British photographer Phillip Toledano heard while interviewing phone sex operators for his book Phonesex.  Although the book came out in 2008, the voices and the people behind them are just as powerful today. 

“There is a contract that exists between phone sex operators and the people who call. It is a contract of self-delusion,” Toledano wrote on his artist page. “The caller agrees to pretend that he (or she) is calling a young, beautiful girl, and the phone sex operator willingly plays the part.”

The book includes images of 26 women and men working as phone sex operators, each accompanied by how they feel about their profession.

 I never thought I would work in the phone sex industry. All those years doing customer service, my customers would comment on my sexy voice. I thought I was being professional, not sexy. This work is customer service. It’s just your customers leave with more than a smile.  

Toledano found most of his participants after posting an ad on Craigslist in his area for operators who were willing to be photographed as part of his project.   

He told HuffPost that his entrance into this type of photography was indirect. The idea for the project evolved during a time after his mother died suddenly and he was left to care for his father who suffers from Alzheimer’s. During the first few months of taking care of his father, Toledano had to repeatedly break the news to his dad that his mother had died. Finally, Toledano made up a story that his mother was on vacation in Paris.

“My father and I kind of lived in this illusion that I had created and we participated in that lie together,” Toledano said. One day he was looking through a magazine and found ads for phone sex and realized: “It was exactly the same thing as what I was doing with my father,” he told HuffPost. “Two people agree to participate in an illusion together.” 

This work is customer service. It’s just your customers leave with more than a smile.

Head over to Amazon to order Phonesex or visit Toledano’s website to see more of his work. 

H/T The Daily Beast

Also on HuffPost: 

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REVIEW: Glewstone Court, Herefordshire

Any modern traveler will be familiar with that strange, anticlimactic sensation of looking up your hotel on your handheld device,

but not being able to find it – even though, it later transpires, you were standing right in front of it all along. Because let’s face it: most city stopovers are so squashed together as to look depressingly unremarkable from the outside.

The stunning Glewstone Court is the exact antithesis of this. For a start, you can’t miss it – or the amazing lone cedar tree that guards it.

Perfectly manicured lawns surround it, and beyond, the humbling natural beauty of Herefordshire’s rolling hills. But the building itself held our gaze equally as long, and while not ginormous, it’s big enough to give you pause as you enter. Looking at this Georgian, Grade II listed building, with its splendidly neat and understated 1810 design, is to feel a flutter of excitement.

There’s a classic feel inside, too – we loved the Victorian tiling in the reception area, and the winding, creaky staircase in the reception area which beckons you to climb it. The cozy lounges are also full of personality, with their open log fires, dainty chandeliers and shabby chic vintage furniture.

Pale, faded pastels, frilly sheets and old-fashioned florals are a popular theme throughout the  spacious rooms; I’m all for quaint, twee stylings, but accept they’re not to everyone’s taste. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how the hotel’s newish owners update certain aspects of the decor without losing the overarching character, but there’s bound to be a way.

An upgrade is in motion though, and it appears to me that this three-star hotel in a state of upward flux – and on the strength of its restaurant it could already rated higher.

The dining room has a slightly more formal feel, and the food is of an impeccable standard. We heartily recommend the succulent pan fried scallops, lightly stir-fried with sultanas and pine nuts and served with a tangy butternut squash puree.

This we followed with a a generous serving of caramelized pork belly with sage and onion potato terrine, and a thoughtful interpretation on banoffee pie, with the delicious banana, biscuit, toffee and cream components served separately and alongside each other.

This family-owned hotel’s best selling point, though, is the service on offer. The waiting and bar staff especially exude a laid-back friendliness and a confident enthusiasm that’s just lovely to see.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty used to younger people in the service industry looking either completely disinterested or completely terrified. Here, they seem completely at ease, and that puts the guests at ease, too.

For more information about Glewstone Court, click here.

The post REVIEW: Glewstone Court, Herefordshire appeared first on Gay Star News.

Jamie Tabberer

www.gaystarnews.com/article/review-glewstone-court-herefordshire/

New Polling from HRC Shows Strong Support for Equality Act in Swing House Districts

Today, HRC released new polling to show broad support for the newly introduced Equality Act in swing districts across the country.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/new-polling-from-hrc-shows-strong-support-for-equality-act-in-swing-house-d?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Josh Duggar’s Ashley Madison Account Revealed, Meanwhile Parents Pitch Reality Show About Child Sex Abuse

The Lord has been testing the Duggar family ever since May of this year when their eldest son, Josh, admitted to molesting two of his sisters ten years ago, resulting in the family’s TLC show being canceled and their Bible-thumping brand being flushed down the toilet. Now, it seems He’s not finished testing them yet.

Once again Josh Duggar has found himself in the center of controversy, this time for keeping an active account on Ashley Madison, a nefarious website with helps facilitate extramarital affairs, Gawker reports.

Related: 19 Kids And Counting Could Be The Title of Josh Duggar’s Child Molestation Saga

It all started last month when Ashley Madison’s database was hacked. On Tuesday, the hackers released the names, email addresses and phone numbers for many of the site’s members, including 27-year-old “family man” Josh Duggar.

A credit card belonging to a “Joshua J. Duggar” paid a grand total of $986.76 for not one but two different monthly subscriptions to Ashley Madison, this included a $250 “affair guarantee” fee, which the website promises “increase[s] your chances of having an affair from possibly to definitely or your money back.”

The credit card’s billing address matched the home of Duggar’s grandmother, Mary, who lives in Fayetteville, AR, and the subscriptions were active from February 2013 through May 2015, right around the time when he confessed to fondling his sisters in their sleep. Interestingly, he was paying for the subscriptions while also working as the executive director of the Family Research Council. All the while his wife, Anna, was busy carrying his children.

Related: Duggar Family Doesn’t Want Gays Kissing On Their Facebook Page, Making Out With Cats And Godzilla Is OK Though

So far, no one from the Duggar tribe is commenting on Josh’s latest moral failing, but his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, have reportedly been busy pitching a new reality show idea in which they counsel young children who have been sexually abused.

That’s right, the parents of an admitted sexual predator, neither of whom have any professional licenses or experience dealing with victims of sexual abuse (aside from telling their own daughters not to tell anyone their older brother touched them inappropriately), want to help others overcome the trauma of being molested.

“The family can’t afford to not have the show,” an anonymous source told Star magazine earlier this week. “It is their main source of income, and with a family of that size, without it they’re in enormous trouble.”

Related: The Antigay Duggars Are Officially 19 Kids And Canceled

Graham Gremore

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