Nick Denton Era of Gawker Over After Univision Buys Site
The embattled website was reportedly purchased for $135 million.
www.advocate.com/media/2016/8/17/nick-denton-era-gawker-over-after-univision-buys-site
Daily Archives: August 17, 2016
A Comic Book for All the Queer Theater Geeks
A Comic Book for All the Queer Theater Geeks
New all-ages comic book series The Backstagers is the series nerds need.
www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/8/17/comic-book-all-queer-theater-geeks
Raging Grannies Support Trans Equity
Raging Grannies Support Trans Equity
Vegan Butterfly posted a photo:
edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-the-scene-of…
Nick Jonas Talks About Criticism He Received for Playing a Gay MMA Fighter
Nick Jonas Talks About Criticism He Received for Playing a Gay MMA Fighter
In a new interview with The LA Times, Nick Jonas addresses what he calls “criticism” for having portrayed a gay MMA fighter in the TV series Kingdom.
Jonas sat down with the LAT along with his summer tour partner Demi Lovato to discuss their collaboration.
When the subject turned to LGBT rights, Jonas was asked about his work on Kingdom.
“It’s a tough story to tell, and I think there’s a responsibility as someone representing the LGBT community to do what I can to show support,” said Jonas.
Asked whether its “tricky to represent that community from outside”, Jonas replied, “As a heterosexual male, I’ve gotten some criticism. But you’ve got to block out the noise to hear the change.”
RELATED – Nick Jonas Had a ‘Gay’ Scene in ‘Kingdom’ if Being Drugged and Violated Counts: WATCH
Lovato also spoke about her support for the LGBT community, saying, “I grew up in the South where there’s discrimination, and when I witnessed the judgment around me, I always thought someone needs to stick up for not just the LGBT community but any outsider, anybody that wasn’t the mold in Texas.”
Of her song “Cool for the Summer”, which many interpreted to be about a same-sex affair, Lovato says,
“I had an experience that I wanted to write about. There was no X-Y about it other than, ‘OK, I’m finally singing about sex.’ But it really was just coming from wanting to be more honest with my music, and also maybe giving more insight into why I’m so passionate about the LGBT community.
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Rio Police: No Evidence Found Supporting Ryan Lochte Robbery Claim – VIDEO
Rio Police: No Evidence Found Supporting Ryan Lochte Robbery Claim – VIDEO
Police in Rio de Janeiro say they have been unable to find any evidence that corroborates the account given by US swimmer Ryan Lochte that he and 3 other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint near the Olympic Village.
As we previously reported, Lochte shared the story with NBC News on Today.
…a police official told the AP that Rio police have had trouble confirming the account.
The group did not call police, authorities said, and officers began investigating once they saw media reports in which Lochte’s mother spoke about the robbery. Police interviewed Lochte and one other swimmer, who said they had been intoxicated and could not remember what type and color of taxi they rode in or where the robbery happened, the police official said. The swimmers also could not say what time the events occurred, or when they left the French House.
The robbery was initially a source of confusion for the USOC and IOC, who denied Lochte had been robbed Monday before reversing course.
A Brazilian court has meanwhile ruled that Lochte and one other swimmer implicated in the story (Jimmy Feigen) must turn over their passports to authorities while the investigation continues. Lochte however has already returned to the U.S. The U.S. Olympic Committee is not commenting on the location of Feigen.
To be clear, @RyanLochte is already back in US. As part of security protocol, USOC will not confirm Feigen’s current location. #breaking
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 17, 2016
Judge Keyla Blank said there were inconsistencies in the testimony of the two swimmers, who said they were robbed at gunpoint after a late night out. Lochte has already left the country, his agent said.
Blank wrote in her filing that there were discrepancies about the time when they left France House and arrived at the athletes’ village.
According to the documents, she watched surveillance video of the swimmers arriving at the athletes’ village. “They arrived with their psychological and physical integrity unperturbed,” she wrote, also noting that the swimmers appeared to be joking with each other and did not appear to be upset.
Investigators need more time to determine whether they are guilty of filing a false police report, the judge wrote.
Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, said there was no question the robbery happened and that Lochte had 24-hour security hired after the incident.
“This happened the way he described it,” Ostrow said.
Ostrow told TMZ: “I have no information from Brazilian authorities that they want his passport.”
He said: “I’m shocked to hear that they would go to such measures in an effort to further investigate the incident as he has been nothing but cooperative with authorities, including sitting for a full interview with the tourist police, US State Department, USOC Security, FBI, and anyone else that requested to be present.”
He added: “Ryan is safely back in the United States.”
Watch a news report from CNN, as well as Lochte’s original interview with Today, below.
The post Rio Police: No Evidence Found Supporting Ryan Lochte Robbery Claim – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
Tulio Roo
Lady Gaga To Star in Bradley Cooper-Directed Remake of ‘A Star Is Born’
Lady Gaga To Star in Bradley Cooper-Directed Remake of ‘A Star Is Born’
Lady Gaga is take on the iconic starring role once played by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland in what will be the fourth remake of A Star Is Born. Actor Bradley Cooper will direct the feature in his directorial debut. Cooper will also star alongside Gaga as the washed-up star who discovers and falls in love with Gaga’s character.
Though often thought of as the original, Judy Garland’s Oscar-nominated 1954 iteration of A Star is Born was in fact a remake of a non-musical 1937 film of the same name produced by David O. Selznick. This original film is often forgotten as it didn’t include a musical powerhouse in the titular role.
Production begins early next year in California, marking the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, who’ll also star alongside Lady Gaga. Latter gets her first studio starring role, as the ingenue singer whose star rises as quickly as her troubled lover/mentor’s star is falling. Deals have been closed by Warner Bros president of Creative Development and WW Production Greg Silverman, and Gaga will compose and perform new music for the film. This picture has been a long time coming for Cooper, who is teaming on the script with Will Fetters.
Beyoncé was originally slated to star opposite Cooper in the lead role but negotiations reportedly fell through.
Deadline adds that everyone at Warner Brothers “felt Cooper was ready to be a director and that Gaga was ready to take the next step as an actress.”
Said WB in a statement,
“For those of us lucky enough to watch him work as an actor and producer, it has been clear that Bradley would make this transition to director. We are honored that he is doing it, here, at his home—Warner Bros.—and with Lady Gaga as a collaborator and co-star. The world is in for a treat as these great artists craft an all new vision of A Star is Born.”
Gaga shared the news herself on Twitter.
Im elated to be directed by & starring w/ Bradley in this project. He’s a brilliant visionary artist. #AStarIsBorn #AStarIsBornCooperGaga
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 17, 2016
[Photo of Gaga via Instagram, photo of Cooper via Wikipedia]
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Rio 2016, Day 11 Report: Olympic Spirit, Olympic Flop and an Olympic Coming Out
Rio 2016, Day 11 Report: Olympic Spirit, Olympic Flop and an Olympic Coming Out
Day 11 in Rio was all about the Olympic spirit.
Long-distance runners Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D’Agostino of the U.S.A. are strong contenders for the most iconic images from Rio 2016.
A little less than five miles to the finish line of the women’s 5,000m qualifying heat, Hamblin took a fall which caused D’Agostino, who was running right behind her, to fall as well. With the fall, D’agostino injured her ankle, but was able to get up right away. Hamlin was still on the ground, and instead of keep running, the American decided to stop and help her competitor to get up on her feet.
“When I went down it was like, ‘what’s happening? Why am I on the ground?’” Hamblin told reporters after the race.”And suddenly there’s this hand on my shoulder, like ‘get up, get up, we have to finish this!’ I’m so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there.”
After they both started racing again, D’Agostino fell to the ground in pain, and it was time for a little love retribution. Hamlin stopped racing, turned around, and helped her rival to get up, reaching for her with two open arms. They both were able to complete the race, after which D’Agostino had to be taken away in a wheelchair.
Although Hamblin and D’Agostino failed to meet the qualifying time for the heat, both have been included in the 5000m final on Friday after protests from their teams, but it’s still unclear whether D’Agostino will be fit to compete,The Guardian reported.
Respect to the medal winners-but this is who I hope my children see as lifelong role models #Dagostino #Hamblin pic.twitter.com/CWqEUKv4qM
— RACalandra (@PEBE4WEGO) August 16, 2016
#USA runner Abbey D’Agostino helped #NZL‘s Nikki Hamblin finish a race after she fell over t.co/jejSSzDGl2 pic.twitter.com/uytxcdJ4OS
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) August 17, 2016
New Zealand’s Runner Nikki Hamblin Stopped Race To Help Her Injured Competitor Finish ❤️t.co/ISgRo44dWU pic.twitter.com/Bw1xwyBPv5
— 9GAG (@9GAG) August 17, 2016
♦
The list of out LGBT Olympians keeps growing. The latest addition is distance swimmer Rachele Bruni of Italy, who won the silver medal in the Women’s 10km marathon Monday, Outsports reported.
She dedicated her medal to girlfriend Diletta Faina, who was also in Rio with her. “I dedicate this victory to my family, my coach and my beloved, who have followed and supported me,” Bruni said.
♦
Larisse França and her partner Talita Antunes of Brazil lost to German duo Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, No. 1 in the Olympic rankings, on the beach volleyball semifinal match yesterday. They will now face Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross of Team USA at 10pm to fight for the bronze medal.
The Americans were favorites for the gold, but lost to another Brazilian duo, Ágatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas.
The gold medal match between Bednarczuk and Seixas vs. Ludwig and Walkenhorst starts tonight at 11:59pm. (All times are local.)
Earlier in the competition, NBC announcer Chris Marlowe had to apologize after referring to França’s wife as her “husband,” as they kissed after a match.
But yesterday NBC aired a “wonderful” feature on the couple and the network needs to be praised for it.
“To me she is the best athlete and spouse in the world,” França’s wife Lili Maestrini says on the 3-minute video. “She has a huge heart.”
www.nbcolympics.com/video/volleyball-integral-larissas-personal-and-work-life
♦
The worst olympic campaign by China in 20 years has frustrated the country’s media.
With 17 gold medals, Team China trails Great Britain (with 19 golds) and the United States (with 28) after 11 days of competition.
“You’re kidding me? The country which has never finished above China is about to,” state news agency Xinhua said on its official English-language Twitter account on Monday, alongside a photo of the medals tally. The tweet has since been deleted, Reuters reported.
A new tweet by the agency says that Chinese athletes have suffered their “worst Olympic flop” in Rio.
No gold for #CHN gymnasts, #TeamChina have suffered the worst Olympic flop at #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Gnhke1SCQp
— Team China (@XHSports) August 16, 2016
♦
Speaking of Olympic flops, Russian diver Ilya Zakharov, may have had one of the worst dives in Olympic history and finished the semi-finals in the men’s three-metre springboard event with the lowest scores of all 18 competitors.
Four years ago in London, Zakharov won the gold medal for the same event.
Is this the worst dive you have ever seen? #rio2016 #diving t.co/jA1NZgJEDs
— Enda Conway (@EndaConway) August 16, 2016
♦
Congratulations to American gymnast Danell Leyva, who won silver medals in both the parallel and high bars.
Levya wasn’t even supposed to compete in Rio. A dog bite to his leg slowed his preparations this spring and he was relegated to alternate status when the U.S. men’s Olympic gymnastics team was announced in late June. He wasn’t added to the five-man squad until John Orozco injured his left knee a month ago, The AP reported.
What makes us love him even more is that the Cuban-American is a huge supporter of LGBT rights. After Orlando, he posted a touching video on Instagram wearing a “Make America Gay Again” tank, where he made a promise:
“The love within the LGBT community is so much stronger than the hatred against it, and it is our responsibility as non-LGBT people to emulate this love and create a world where LGBT people don’t need to create their own safe spaces,” he said. “That is a promise I’m making.”
Love him!
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Baryshnikov, Donald Trump, Ben-Hur, Paul Manafort, Bill Clinton, Nathan Adrian: HOT LINKS
Baryshnikov, Donald Trump, Ben-Hur, Paul Manafort, Bill Clinton, Nathan Adrian: HOT LINKS
Trans YouTube Star Chase Ross spills the tea in Rickey Thompson’s new “LGBT Q&A” interview.
From Rihanna v. Beyonce to his love of cats, Chase shares what it’s like being a young transgender YouTube star and the things that matter most to him.
Says Chase: “Maybe it has to do with trans-related things. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really feel like it was my body forever, and now that I finally am comfortable I’m like, I can actually have a relationship with my body and I really want to take care of it.”
Watch all the videos in the “LGBT Q&A” series to see other LGBT YouTubers including Miles Jai, Julia Nunes, Courtney Act, and Steph Frosch.
ELECTION. Donald Trump shakes up campaign team: “The Republican nominee tapped pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager and Breitbart News Chairman Stephen Bannon as campaign chief executive, Conway confirmed to POLITICO early Wednesday morning.”
PAUL MANAFORT. Trump campaign chief routed $2.2 million from pro-Russian Ukraine party to Washington lobbying firms: “The revelation, provided to The Associated Press by people directly knowledgeable about the effort, comes at a time when Trump has faced criticism for his friendly overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also casts new light on the business practices of campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Under federal law, U.S. lobbyists must declare publicly if they represent foreign leaders or their political parties and provide detailed reports about their actions to the Justice Department. A violation is a felony and can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.”
BARYSHNIKOV. Trump rhetoric like the Soviet Union:
WYOMING. Liz Cheney wins GOP primary: “Cheney had 40 percent of the vote to state Sen. Leland Christensen’s 23 percent when The Associated Press called the race with 73 percent of precincts reporting. State House Speaker Pro Tempore Tim Stubson took 18 percent and five other Republicans split the remainder of the vote.”
BROOKLYN. Two Hasidic men get probation in beating of black gay man. “A judge on Tuesday also ordered 22-year-old Pinchas Braver and 42-year-old Abraham Winkler to pay $1,400 in restitution to Taj Patterson, who was assaulted in December 2013 by several men who yelled anti-gay slurs.”
SOUTH AFRICA. Ministry of Home Affairs mulls ban on homophobic US pastor Steven Anderson: “The ministry was placed on terms to make a decision on the matter last month by the South African Human Rights Commission, which sent a letter to Minister Malusi Gigaba and director general Mkuseli Apleni. The commission, which had received complaints about the visit from outraged lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities, asked the ministry to make a decision based on legislation that allows a person to be banned for being “undesirable”. The commission received no reply to its first letter and a second was sent on August 2.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: Places with LGBTQ heritage.
FIRE ISLAND PINES. How architecture shaped it.
AUSTRALIA. Hundreds of gay couples already marrying there – at the British consulates: “The British High Commission revealed that they have conducted 283 same-sex marriages and have converted 128 civil partnerships. The stats show that the Sydney consulate has officiated the most ceremonies with 108 same-sex marriages. Melbourne follows with 78, Perth with 52, Brisbane with 24, and Canberra with 21.”
BEN-HUR. Gay subplot not necessary in 2016, says actor Toby Kebbell: “In 1959, the gay context was very important. They need a voice. You shouldn’t have to hide in the dark about something you feel and you’re grown with. That was their own thing they wanted to portray and we didn’t need to. It’s a different time, thankfully.”
BILL CLINTON. Dancing with the Stars’ top pick: “Katz told ABC News that she’s asked the 69-year-old former POTUS to join the show every year since its 2005 premiere — except for this upcoming season. She thought he “might be a little busy” with the 2016 election as he campaigns with his wife — who made history as the Democratic party’s first female presidential nominee against GOP rival Donald Trump.”
HUMP DAY HOTTIE. US Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian.
The post Baryshnikov, Donald Trump, Ben-Hur, Paul Manafort, Bill Clinton, Nathan Adrian: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
'The Advocate' Wins Five Journalism Awards from NLGJA
'The Advocate' Wins Five Journalism Awards from NLGJA
Founded in 1967, The Advocate is heading into its 50th year of producing award-winning LGBT journalism.
www.advocate.com/media/2016/8/17/advocate-wins-five-journalism-awards-nlgja
