Brian Sims Slams Trump/Pence’s Anti-LGBTQ Nonsense In Epic Takedown

Beloved congressional bear Brian Sims has NO PATIENCE for the garbage coming out of Mike Pence’s mouth, and he’s letting the world know in no uncertain terms. In a fabulous op-ed for Philly Magazine, Sims launched into Pence, tearing him to shreds for his terrible policies.

“The most extreme pick for vice president in a generation,” Sims calls him, and it only gets better from there. Sims points out that Pence’s “no gays allowed” bill cost the state at least $60 million (some estimates put it at $250 million) by alienating businesses all over the world. “Welcome to the Trump-Pence GOP, which continues this divisiveness,” he says.

There are plenty of direct threats posed by Trump and Pence–even though Trump claims to be a “friend” to the gays, he’s anything but. He’s opposed to gay marriage; he’s said that he’d repeal Obama’s nondiscrimination orders; and the last time he said anything positive about LGBT rights was 2000.

And Pence has made a career out of hurting LGBT families, either by protecting straight-segregated lunch counters or by palling around with ex-gay advocates or by opposing repeal of DADT.

And what’s worse, Sims says, is that they’re fostering a climate of hatred and division, even when they’re not talking about queers. Trump’s antisemitic dog-whistles are one example; his proposal to ban Muslims is another; and Pence’s disinterest in hate crime protection is yet a third. Says Sims:

With all of the hatred swirling, it is even more imperative that we elect a president that will fight for our community and equality for all. Here in Philadelphia, we’ll be supporting a candidate for president that will fight for every community. Hillary Clinton is the fighter we need.

He’s right, of course. Hillary may not be as perfect — and nobody is — but she’s the only person running for president who has a shot at actually improving the lives of LGBTs.

Related: Mike Pence’s Seven Most Vicious Homophobic Moments (There’s A Lot To Choose From)

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Is This The Nastiest Song Prince Ever Wrote? (It’s Not The One You Think.)

With “Lost Classics,” Queerty veers beyond what sometimes feels like an obsessive fixation with Nick Jonas, James Franco, Zac Efron, and other pop personalities to write about gay songs, films, performers, and artifacts you may have overlooked, never been exposed to, or are perhaps ready to revisit. This week: “If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up),” performed by Vanity 6, written by Prince, and so camp it’s positively life-affirming.

Related: This Song Pokes Fun At Crystal Queens, Circuit Queens, And Bottoms. Don’t Miss It.

A man’s life can be neatly divided into two parts: The empty, listless existence he had before hearing “If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up)” and the satisfied, totally self-actualized life he’ll lead after hearing “If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up.)”

Nothing we say or do can ultimately prepare you for the moment you first hear these lyrics: “If I wasn’t a lady, I’d take my money…And buy U a brand new face… Then I’d take my underwear and stick it in your mouth…And U’d love it cuz U got no taste.”

Related: If Prince Was A Homophobe, What Does That Make You?

So have your “Nasty Girl.” Keep your goddamn “Sex Shooter.” For us, the ultimate Vanity 6 song is the this funky, hallucinogenically ludicrous diss track that inexplicably casts Morris Day as “the other woman,” Vanity as a jilted lover, and Brenda Bennett as… hard to say what Brenda is doing, except owning the song. Everyone sounds so high, you’re bound to get sympathetic nasal drip while listening.

Why we don’t hear this every time we go out, we don’t know. Let’s fix that. (Beats “Show Me Love”.)

This is one Prince-penned song that mustn’t be lost to obscurity. Please help.

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‘Looking’ Back On the HBO Series’ Final Film – RECAP

For those of us who grew to love Looking, HBO’s short-lived gay-centric drama, last night’s special concluding film gave us one last check-in with the San Francisco-based group of friends. As we said in our review, we loved it, but now that it’s aired, we can all pour ourselves a mimosa, sit down with an egg white omelet and discuss the Looking wrap-up film over brunch like a family.

“Finally Finding Something Close to Adulthood”

We return to Looking just as Patrick is returning to San Francisco. It’s been nine months since Patrick left the Bay Area to clear his head in Denver, Colorado. First stop on his homecoming tour is a little dim sum and dish. Lucky for us, everyone spills their exposition like so much soy sauce all over the table, helpfully sharing the bullet points of their last three trimesters. Dom’s life has become all about chicken, whether he’s slinging it at his smash success of a restaurant window or left choking it due his lackluster love life. The rest of the crew is faring a bit better, at least romantically. Agustín is working at the Art Institute and getting ready to head down the aisle with Eddy. Doris and Malik are going strong. Even Richie and his blogger boyfriend are still an item.

 

“Bury Your Dead Real Good”

The group hits the bars for some Britney and beers, ending with Patrick going home with a hot 22-year-old game developer. The series doesn’t shy away from their sexual encounter — the film’s only man-on-man sex scene — but it might be one of Looking’s most unflinching. After some sweaty fun, the two talk about Patrick’s ex Kevin (hey, it’s a small town). Patrick claims he left San Francisco for a reset after the emotional fallout of his & Kevin’s break-up, but when he’s asked “Did it work?” he doesn’t quite have an answer.

“This Is Not A Katherine Heigl Movie”

If Patrick’s first night back was a celebration, day two was a crisis. First there’s a visit to Dom’s chicken window (and parklet!) where Doris harps on Dom’s reluctance to dive out of the frying pan and into the dating pool. Dom’s struggle to balance love and career seems the thinnest emotional conflict of the series on the surface, but his relationship with Doris adds a touch more heft. It’s not about “having it all” in the cliched rom-com sense, but rather how anyone navigates the transition between desperately longing for the future and the terrifying fear of losing the present.

A frantic call from Agustín beckons Patrick away to Indian Rock where the bride-to-be is suffering from a case of cold feet. It’s not that he’s questioning his love for Eddy (this isn’t a runaway bride moment), but the tidy trappings of traditional marriage have shaken Agustín’s anarchist rabble rousing attitudes, causing a bit of an identity crisis. It’s not just making peace with the institution of marriage, though. It’s also how Agustín has a tendency to be the worst. He’s afraid he might ruin this; he might hurt Eddy. Now, the Patrick that we knew from previous seasons is probably the last person with any business giving out advice on healthy adult relationships. Maybe it’s the altitude, but our Rocky Mountain High Patrick is able to break it down for Agustín: You’re allowed to change. Clearly Patrick has.

“Sister Dominic of the Tenderloin”

The award for best Annette Bening impression goes to Dom! He and Patrick re-enact the tense toothbrushing scene from The Kids Are All Right and hop into bed. They bust out the Pax Ploom and start to get high. Maybe it’s the Mary Jane talking, but Patrick gets an idea. Why don’t he and Dom give love a go? They’re already best friends, they don’t make each other sick, physically, and they like all the same movies. That’s more than some couples have going for them. Ha, he’s just kidding! Or is he? Maybe? Will they? Dom leans over and they start to kiss, but before things go any further, they break into laughter, stunned they even let it get that far. It’s all very easy and casual and one of the most authentic-feeling scenes between two gay friends I’ve seen in a while.

“It’s So Easy To Let the Past Make A Mess of the Present”

The next morning, Patrick texts Kevin to meet up for a coffee. Kevin, now a blonde, shows up for a tense exchange, eager to mention to Patrick how he and his boyfriend Jon are back together and doing great, athankyouverymuch. Because of Patrick mucking up his life, he went to therapy, figured out what he wanted and now if he “meets Chris Pratt at Fitness First” he can “jerk off him until [his] heart’s content, and that’s completely fine.” (I guess they read that study about gay men in open relationships.)

Obviously, a lot of hurt still lingers, and Kevin holds little back spewing venom at Patrick, calling him a coward for fleeing the city. Kevin always seemed to be holding all the power in their coupling, so it’s been hard to imagine him holding onto heartbreak. A few cracks in Kevin’s smug armor show when he reveals that he wanted to make it work, he wanted to try. He says Patrick didn’t move away, he ran. That’s what he does.

There’s some tenderness there still, though. On their way out, Kevin reveals that he’s moving back to London with Jon, which means his job is opening up. If Patrick wants to return to the Bay Area, he could make it happen. They share one last hug, and Kevin gives him a final kiss before heading back on the train.

“Marriage Is For the Gays”

Patrick leaves his contentious coffee with Kevin to head straight to City Hall for Agustín and Eddy’s wedding. This time it’s Eddy’s turn to be freaked out. He’s more overwhelmed with the details of the wedding than the difficulties of marriage, but it’s enough of a tizzy to warrant a quick aside between he and Agustín, leaving Patrick alone to have a chat with the honorable Judge Tyne Daly! She imparts some sage wisdom about how people can adapt for one another to make relationships work. She prefers adapt to change, but the lesson for Patrick is the same. Even if he did run from Kevin, that doesn’t mean he’s a runner. He’s not a coward just because he acted cowardly.

Agustín and Eddy exchange their “I Do’s” and celebrate at The Endup with a special speech by none other than activist Cleve Jones. Doris reveals she and Malik are never heading down the aisle, but they are considering having a baby. Before she pops out a little gayby, she tells Dom she wants to do some drugs, to which he replies that they’ve got plenty thanks to Eddy’s friend “handsome Jake.” I guess Dom’s dry spell is coming to close.

 

“Gays Argue With Other Gays About Being Gays”

Coming off stage following his maid of dishonor toast, Richie’s boyfriend Brady can’t resist throwing a little shade about Patrick’s last big, disastrous speech. Brady (“a blog that no one reads in human form,” according to Patrick) has had a touch too much to drink, and it all comes out. It starts with a few bitchy barbs between Brady and Patrick, but then it devolves into how Patrick and Kevin were everything that was wrong with the gay community and how Brady is the gay thought police and before they start taking off their earrings and smearing on the vaseline, Richie tries to get Brady home. This only infuriates Brady more because he feels like Richie is taking Patrick’s side, so Brady calls them out, asking Patrick if he came back to steal his boyfriend. Richie manages to wrangle Brady out of the bar, leaving Patrick shaken and solitary on the dance floor when all the couples pair up.

 

“Just Because You Feel You Shouldn’t Need Something Doesn’t Mean You Don’t”

In my favorite scene in the too-short history of Looking, Patrick is standing off to the side watching everyone cuddle and kiss and sway. We see Richie come back into the bar and spot Patrick across the room. As the music swells (the gorgeous, haunting, perfect pick “Hood” by Perfume Genius) Richie makes his way over to Patrick. We’re seeing this all happen through the mirror behind Patrick, and watching Patrick’s eyes spot Richie’s return gave me goosebumps each of the ten times I re-watched it.

Richie and Patrick stroll up the late-night San Francisco street and Patrick tells him that he’s got an offer to take a job back in town. Richie doesn’t know if he’s ready to jump from one relationship into another. Maybe he needs some time to be alone. Maybe he needs to take his haircut truck and move to Texas. Or Reno. Somewhere. But Patrick makes his pitch that being alone isn’t as cracked up as it seems. Wouldn’t it be better to find yourself, together? He’d even go with Richie to Texas. That’s love.

Richie is worried what will happen if it doesn’t work out. “At least we tried,” Patrick answers. “Do you want to try?”

Before Richie can answer, the gang bangs on the window from inside a greasy spoon. They go in, sit amongst the people they love and Richie gives Patrick a solemn nod.

If nothing else, at least they’ll try.

What did you think of Looking: The Movie?

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Gay Republicans, Ariana Grande, Gorilla, Blair Witch, Boy Scouts, Bernie Sanders: NEWS

DEM CONVENTION. A list of banned items.

SWING STATE DEMOCRATS. Skipping the convention: “The Democrats looking to flip Senate seats in Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida and Missouri are all skipping the convention, as is the woman running to hold Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s seat in Nevada. And the Democrat hoping to take back the governor’s mansion in North Carolina will also stay home.”

WIKILEAK. DNC staffer apologizes for suggesting DNC use Bernie Sanders’ religious beliefs against him: “I deeply regret that my insensitive, emotional emails would cause embarrassment to the DNC, the Chairwoman, and all of the staffers who worked hard to make the primary a fair and open process. The comments expressed do not reflect my beliefs nor do they reflect the beliefs of the DNC and its employees. I apologize to those I offended.”

OPTIMISTIC. What Trump thought his RNC Speech was. “I thought it was very optimistic. To me, it was an optimistic speech.”

GAY REPUBLICANS. Why?

SIGNORILE. How the media allows Donald Trump to appear LGBTQ-friendly. “Trump can count on much of the media falling for stock phrases, engaging in superficial coverage and often running with a false narrative that the Trump campaign hands to journalists on Trump and LGBT issues rather than doing the most basic reporting and presenting an accurate story.”

ARIANA GRANDE. Donut-licking incident cost her a White House appearance.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Gay priest quits to avoid ban on marrying. “The Rev Clive Larsen, 60, officially left his post as a parish priest in the diocese of Manchester on Friday. The clergyman would have faced disciplinary action if he had gone ahead with the marriage tomorrow without quitting.”

JACK MONROE. Food blogger comes out as non-binary transgender.

ZACHARY QUINTO. Scared to be a gay American. “There are indicators of the pendulum swinging the other way right now in terms of the political temperature and the landscape of Trump. It’s absurd to me, but I have to have faith that we’ll endure and triumph. I have to feel like people will look at these two old white men, who represent everything that is negative in history, and say there are more people who want to go a different direction. I hope so. I am scared. I don’t take anything for granted. I have a lot of people in my life that think there’s no way Trump will win. I don’t believe that for a second. We have to fight with everything we have to continue the path that we’ve been able to gain such ground on in the last five to ten years. It’s just a bleak and dangerous moment in our geopolitical landscape right now.”

BOY SCOUTS. One year after easing ban on gay adults, group is thriving: “Remarkably, nearly 12 months after the BSA National Executive Board’s decision, the Boy Scouts seem more robust than they have in many years. Youth membership is on the verge of stabilizing after a prolonged decline, corporations which halted donations because of the ban have resumed their support, and the vast majority of units affiliated with conservative religious denominations have remained in the fold — still free to exclude gay adults if that’s in accordance with their religious doctrine.”

PULSE. Boy Scouts collected weathered flags at site of Orlando massacre this week. “Officials from the Orange County Regional History Center oversaw the Scouts, who were asked to collect the flags so the American Legion can give them a proper retirement ceremony. The flags have been deemed unserviceable for various reasons, including touching the ground, and will be respectfully retired and burned, said Chris Crowley, director of field service for the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council.”

POLICY CHANGES. Transgender drill sergeant Ken Ochoa not sure if he’ll be processed as male or female. “Following Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s announcement that transgender individuals can serve openly in the military, but with specific guidance not due for months, Drill Sergeant Ken Ochoa faces uncertainty about whether he’ll be processed as male or female as he moves to a new post.”

BRYAN FULLER. Star Trek: Discovery TV series weighs in on gay Sulu controversy: “I think when you’re an actor, you’re playing a role from a specific direction. It is that interpretation that you worked with, with the creator of the show, that has been cemented in your mind. So I think [George Takei] is absolutely entitled to feel that way, because I absolutely understand why he feels that way. I think the bigger picture is that we need gay representation. And the fact that they embraced that idea and made John Cho’s portrayal as Sulu a gay man was a lovely move of inclusivity.”

RWANDA. Woman shoved by gorilla during safari tour. “The couple said the group observed the gorillas for about 40 minutes before one gorilla, the male head of the family, beat his chest and charged toward the humans. The gorilla gave Gemma a one-handed shove, knocking her to the ground, before continuing on his way.”

POKEMON GO. Two Canadian teens illegally crossed the U.S.-Canada border while playing the game: “The two, who were not identified, were found by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Thursday, with their attention affixed to their phones as they were trying to hunt down cartoon characters on a journey that took them over the border.”

BLAIR WITCH. The upcoming film The Woods was revealed to be a sequel to the horror classic The Blair Witch Project, at San Diego’s Comic-Con. Here’s the trailer. It has a September 16 release date.

SUNDAY STUD. Javier Santo.

 

 

 

 

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Nico Tortorella Debuts Drag Persona ‘Almond Milk’

Actor Nico Tortorella, fresh off the revelation that he identifies as sexually “fluid”, revealed his drag persona over the weekend on Instagram.

 

The explanation behind the name is that Tortorella has been welcomed into the family of The Dairy Queens. They’re “a batch of hilarious drag queens based in NYC,” according to their Instagram page, and “the group consists of: MILK, Ühu Betch, Skim Burley, Linda Lakes & Juggz.”

RELATED: Actor Nico Tortorella Says He’s Sexually Fluid: ‘I’ve Never Been in Any Sort of Closet’

And now Almond Milk. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum MILK welcomed Tortorella into the fold in another Instagram post.

The group’s YouTube channel is HERE.

NNN tips us to this (work-unfriendly) video posted back in March.

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Laverne Cox Dazzles In First 'Rocky Horror' Trailer

Fox released the first trailer of its anticipated remake of the musical cult classic.

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