'Ben-Hur' Is Courting Christians, Definitely Not Gays

The film’s pursuit of religious viewers raises questions about its removal of gay subtext.

www.advocate.com/media/2016/8/18/ben-hur-courting-christians-definitely-not-gays

Meet Hillary Clinton's Ultimate Gay Fan

A Full Frontal correspondent finds a rainbow-clad Clinton supporter who expresses himself in equally colorful terms.

www.advocate.com/comedy/2016/8/18/meet-hillary-clintons-ultimate-gay-fan

Top 10 Worst Product Placement Fails In Music Videos

These are strange days we’re living in.

Attention spans are short, media consumption is spread across a dizzying array of platforms and advertisers are always on the hunt to connect with consumers. Can you blame them? No. When done tastefully, ads can even be, dare we say, enjoyable.

Related: Son Comes Out To His Father In Incredibly Moving McDonald’s Commercial

Related: This Valentine’s Day Commercial From Gun Oil Lube Is Slick And Sweet

But can you blame record companies for injecting horribly transparent product placement into music videos? Yes, please cut it out.

Below, check out some particularly cringe-worthy attempts at getting you to obsess over the latest [watch, phone, car, you name it].

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/eHCeb-PmDOk/top-10-worst-product-placement-fails-music-videos-20160818

LochteGate, Frank Ocean, Henry Cavill, Dana Perino, DeezNuts, Naked Trump Statue: HOT LINKS

LOCHTEGATE. Ryan Lochte is sticking by his story, says gas station edited out 3 minutes of missing surveillance video, according to TMZ: “Our sources say Lochte and his team claim they were indeed taken out of a cab at gunpoint, but the video doesn’t show that because the gas station edited it out. We’re told Lochte mistook the uniforms worn by the security guards as police uniforms, and he claims during the missing 3 minutes he and the other swimmers were pulled out of the taxi at gunpoint.”

IRAN. As it turns out, President Obama stalled the already-planned delivery of $400 million to Iran to ensure that the US sailors would be returned immediately. The US had already signed off on finally paying Iran the $400 million it owed the country as part of the Iran nuclear deal when the sailors were captured: “What actually happened, according to the AP and others, is that President Barack Obama used the $400 million payment that had already been negotiated as a bargaining chip to ensure the Americans were released quickly and released unharmed.”

UBER. Get ready for driverless cars: “Ride-hailing service Uber says it will start hauling passengers with self-driving cars on the streets of Pittsburgh in next several weeks.”

SKIN. World’s hottest ex-con/model Jeremy Meeks is showing off his body.

HENRY CAVILL. Superman’s spit curl is back!

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Justice department says it will stop use of private prisons.

MEANWHILE, ON FOX NEWS. Former WH Press Secretary Dana Perino (under George W. Bush) goes off on right-wing poll/truth-denier:  “It is a real disservice to his supporters to lie to them that those polls don’t matter. You can not take twelve thousand people at a rally that are your definite supporters they are going to show up for the campaign and then say the polls are wrong.”

FIXER UPPER. HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines are sick and tired of seeing the houses they remodeled for people on Airbnb or VRBO.

POOR JILL STEIN. She’s losing to Deez Nuts in Texas: “The New York Daily News reported Wednesday that a Public Policy Polling survey of Texas voters showed Stein and [slain Gorilla] Harambe winning less than two percent of registered voters, while “Deez Nuts” — a creation of Iowa teen Brady Olson — garnered 3 percent of voters.”

NYC. Statue of a naked Donald Trump removed from Union Square.

I’M RICH, B*TCH. NeNe Leaks reportedly owes $800,000 in back taxes to the IRS.

NOT COOL. Frank Ocean has reportedly been out drag racing (not like that) instead of giving us a new album.

THURSDAY THIRST. Italian beach volleyball player Alex Ranghieri.

The post LochteGate, Frank Ocean, Henry Cavill, Dana Perino, DeezNuts, Naked Trump Statue: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.

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Federal Judge Sets Dangerous Precedent Ruling in Favor of Transgender Employment Discrimination

Today HRC released the following statement in response to a decision by a federal judge in Michigan who ruled in favor of a Detroit-based funeral home who fired a transgender employee due to her gender identity. U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox ruled that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) could be used as a defense in a sex discrimination claim under Title VII — exempting the employer from Title VII’s non-discrimination requirements.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) brought the lawsuit against R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes arguing that the employer had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by firing Aimee Stephens based on her gender identity.

“This is a reckless ruling against a woman who was fired simply because she is transgender,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Judge Cox’s deeply disappointing decision has the possibility of setting an incredibly dangerous precedent that purported religious beliefs can be used as an excuse to violate non-discrimination laws. It has the potential of opening a Pandora’s box of discrimination against a wide range of vulnerable communities. We are incredibly concerned about the implications.”

In his decision, Judge Cox wrote: “…the question becomes whether the law at issue here, Title VII and the body of sex-stereotyping case law that has developed under it, imposes a substantial burden on the ability of the Funeral Home to conduct business in accordance with its religious beliefs. The Court concludes that the Funeral Home has shown that it does.”

Referencing the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in Hobby Lobby, Judge Cox reasoned that, “The majority in Hobby Lobby concluded that a for-profit corporation is considered a ‘person’ for purposes of RFRA protection. Hobby Lobby, 134 S.Ct. at 2768-69. The Funeral Home, a for-profit, closely-held corporation, is therefore entitled to protection under RFRA.”

www.hrc.org/blog/federal-judge-sets-dangerous-precedent-ruling-in-favor-of-transgender-emplo?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

‘American Horror Story’ Raises More Questions with Two New Season 6 Teasers – WATCH

Two new teaser or promo trailers have been released for season 6 of American Horror Story, and they’ve left us wondering now more than ever what the upcoming cycle will be about.

The anthology horror series from Ryan Murphy has previously looked at a haunted house, an asylum, a coven, a freak show, and a haunted hotel. There have been some rumors that season 6 will be about Roanoke, the lost English colony. 

Images from these two promos, however, don’t necessarily back that up. But who’s to say at this point? Watch below and decide for yourself what you think season 6 will be about.

The post ‘American Horror Story’ Raises More Questions with Two New Season 6 Teasers – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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