Bette Midler Apologizes Over Tweet Asking If Caitlyn Jenner Will Go Back To Being Bruce

Bette Midler Apologizes Over Tweet Asking If Caitlyn Jenner Will Go Back To Being Bruce

bette midler caitlyn jenner

Caitlyn Jenner and Bette Midler. Photo of Bette Midler via Twitter.

Bette Midler and the Kardashians have had Twitter beef for awhile now, but a new jab has some calling her out for transphobia.

Midler asked on Saturday whether Caitlyn Jenner will go back to being Bruce now that her show, “I Am Cait,” has been cancelled, and remarry Kris in a since deleted tweet.

bette midler transphobic tweet

Midler tweeted out an apology on Sunday, calling it an “idle musing,” and adding that “I seem to have misread the temper of the times.”

DEAR FRIENDS @HRC, WHOM I HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED. SORRY LAST TWEET OFFENDED. AN IDLE MUSING. I SEEM TO HAVE MISREAD THE TEMPER OF THE TIMES.

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) August 21, 2016

Response to the tweet were mixed, but many are calling Midler out on crossing the line, and have reminder her that it is maybe not so funny to suggest that transgender identity is a phase. Especially at a time of increased violence and antitrans legislation.

@BetteMidler @IAmCait Yes, because being transgender is just a phase? What a vile tweet. Will you go back to being irrelevant?

— Josh Haigh (@joshcharles_21) August 21, 2016

@Danimay_Palmer @BetteMidler personally? Trans people are MURDERED on a daily basis. Perpetuating the myth it’s a choice is harmful.

— Josh Haigh (@joshcharles_21) August 21, 2016

@BetteMidler I love you Bette but this is horrible.

— roxane gay (@rgay) August 21, 2016

@rgay @BetteMidler I’m hoping some child assistant tweeted that out… ???

— Bflood28 (@Bflood28) August 21, 2016

@rgay seriously, WTF @BetteMidler?

— Jeff Stenehjem (@JeffStenehjem) August 21, 2016

@BetteMidler @IAmCait Why do you even think that is acceptable to say Bette? So rude and offensive toward a fellow Human. Shame on you.

— Toria (LesbiHonest) (@LuckyCharmed3) August 20, 2016

.@BetteMidler It doesn’t matter how you feel about her or her politics (yeah, that’s what this is about) her gender is hers.

— Her Majesty (@RoyalHoeliness) August 21, 2016

A trans person’s pronouns & gender aren’t contingent on you agreeing with their politics/opinions.

— Her Majesty (@RoyalHoeliness) August 21, 2016

@BetteMidler @IAmCait this is transphobic Bette

— reggie (@1942bs) August 20, 2016

.@BetteMidler Now that you’ve proven you’re no ally to LGBT people, will you do anything to regain trust? Take it back? Do I smell donation?

— Kylie Jack (@ixKylie) August 21, 2016

Tell us your reaction to Midler’s tweet in the comments below.

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Are You Racist? Gay? Or Both? This Guy’s Premature Baldness Has Led To A Lot Of Misunderstandings

Are You Racist? Gay? Or Both? This Guy’s Premature Baldness Has Led To A Lot Of Misunderstandings

Bald-man-jpg

It’s not easy being bald and under 30. Just ask Scott Manley Hadley.

“My name is Scott Manley Hadley,” his essay begins, “and I am prematurely bald.”

Hadley says he first shaved his head when he was 26 year old after accepting that his receding hairline was both “unstoppable and accelerating.” It’s a harsh and often difficult reality that most every man, gay or straight, must confront at some point in their lives. In fact, a 2013 study found that male pattern baldness can actually trigger severe emotional burdens, including depression and body dysmorphic disorder, which is when a person suffers acute anxiety about their looks.

Related: Man Claims Propecia Made His Weenie Shrink Then Drove Him To Insanity

Some of this is due to a person’s own self-image. But it’s often aggravated by society, as has been the case for Hadley.

“In the year and a half since then,” he writes. “I’ve been the victim of constant discrimination.”

“Shaved heads are a popular and stereotypical look within two UK communities,” he explains. “Many people presume that a man with a shaved head is one of two things: gay or racist.”

He continues: “If I’m dressed in an even remotely flamboyantly way (i.e. a patterned shirt), strangers regularly presume I’m gay. If, however, I’m dressed in unexciting jeans and a plain T-shirt, people presume I’m some EDL-loving thug.”

In Hadley’s case, he’s neither of those things, though, he says, he doesn’t take offense when people think he’s gay. (In fact, in another blog post, he admits that he’s “tried” to whole gay thing but in the process he learned “the bit that actually matters just isn’t my kinda thing.”)

Related: PHOTOS: Guys With Receding Hairlines Are Sexy As Hell

“I’m neither a football-hooligan-turned-bouncer nor a gay man,” he writes. Be, he says, “I find it interesting how these two groups, which are in many ways ideologically opposed, share such a striking symbol.”

He adds: “What else do gay men and skinhead thugs have in common? Both groups enjoy wearing leather. Both groups organize street parades where they loudly expound personal pride.”

Hadley then takes a deep dive into what this all means:

A bald head looks like the tip of an erect penis without the external urethral meatus, and one would be foolish to deny that there are few things more masculine than a b*ner. It makes sense for gay men to fetishize the shaven head, as the defining feature of a male homosexual is his eroticization of the penis. For a fascistic thug, though, the deification of the c*ck makes less sense, unless one subscribes to the sneering viewpoint that every homophobe is a repressed homosexual scared of his own desires.

Sure, he may be overthinking. Or maybe he’s onto something. After all, a recent study found that straight-identifying guys with negative attitudes toward gay men appeared to be waaaay more interested in gay imagery than the those who didn’t express homophobic sentiments.

Then, of course, there are all those antigay religious and political leaders who have been exposed as keeping secret Grindr profiles.

Related: Study Shows Homophobic Male College Students Attracted To Gay Imagery

So what’s the takeaway from all this?

A few things:

First, Hadley writes, “men who shave their heads receive prejudice from both the socially liberal and the socially conservative, seeing us as a demon representative of something they abhor.”

So stop make snap judgments about bald guys!

And second, he says, male pattern baldness is a “disease” that typically affects “men who identify as outside of the mainstream (be that through sexuality or extreme political beliefs) [and] often want to draw extra attention to something that puts them at the heart of our patriarchal, white-led, society: their ethnicity and gender.”

Hmmm. We’re not so sure about that one.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments section below…

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Frank Ocean’s Poem ‘Boyfriend’ is Just One Element in a Beautiful ‘Blonde’ Experience: READ IT

Frank Ocean’s Poem ‘Boyfriend’ is Just One Element in a Beautiful ‘Blonde’ Experience: READ IT

Frank-Ocean-blonde-album-cover

Four years after his last album Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released his long-awaited album Blonde over the weekend along with a tidal wave of additional new creative offerings, a video for the track “Nikes”, a visual album called Endless, and a magazine (available only at pop-up shops in four cities) called Boys Don’t Cry (which had been the rumored title of Blonde. An interesting note: while the official title of the album is Blonde, Ocean decided to write ‘blond’ on the cover – linguistics experts, make of it what you will.

Gender and sexuality are at the center of Ocean’s new set of works.

Writes the NYT:

Much of the magazine is given over to the eroticism of the automobile — there are photos of Mr. Ocean looking blissful around cars, a spread of racecar drivers deep in thought, a striking photo shoot of nude young Chinese men draped on and in a compact sedan. In an essay at the beginning of the magazine, Mr. Ocean suggests his car fixation might be part of “a deep subconscious straight boy fantasy,” but then adds, “Consciously though, I don’t want straight — a little bent is good.”

Mr. Ocean announced on his Tumblr in 2012 that when he was 19 he fell in love with a man. Sexual fluidity and ambiguity play key parts in the new projects. The magazine features both nude men and women, and there are small references to gender nonconformity throughout these works: a shot of Mr. Ocean wearing strong eyeliner in the “Nikes” video, and another in the middle of a car-based photo shoot in the magazine; or a sample of the drag icon Crystal LaBeija, taken from the documentary “The Queen,” on “Endless.” And most vividly, his album is called “Blonde,” but its cover reads “blond,” alongside a photo of Mr. Ocean, his short hair dyed neon green — the feminine, the masculine, the none of the above.

Among the gems in the magazine is a poem written by Ocean and you can read it below.

“Boyfriend” by Frank Ocean

my boyfriend drives a lil bucket
when it rain it fills up with rain
my boyfriend he gon pick me up
don’t distract him at the wheel
in his lane
he’s the only one

my boyfriend he misses me when i’m gone
so he don’t forget me
there’s a song he sings
calms his nerve, endings
my boyfriend is friendly
and we don’t want no problems

i could say that i’m happy
they let me and my boyfriend become married
i could say that i’m happy
but cross my heart i didn’t notice
hope to die no never, we voted
me and my boyfriend cast our ballot
every kiss reads like a poem
making wrongs right like a poem

i couldn’t say i dream of you
because my dreams are filled with no one
and all is lost
me and my boyfriend we found
we don’t hope for beyonds at all
me and my boyfriend spend time
and that’s all i’m holding on
this time

we got permission
nothing’s above condition
but this ain’t a thang
it’s a mission

can’t join the band so sing along
me and my boyfriend got it going on
sleep with fans and t shirts on
asleep in vans your legs all strewn
across my lap
tan lines where your watch was strapped
you took off to make time

cut your hair
you left it long
i love to stare
there’s nothing wrong
and if i die while i’m asleep
i pray to God my boyfriend
keeps my secret
peace

View post on imgur.com

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Clinton Foundation, Prince Harry, Sam Kendricks, Drake, Rihanna, Hugh Jackman, Adonis: HOT LINKS

Clinton Foundation, Prince Harry, Sam Kendricks, Drake, Rihanna, Hugh Jackman, Adonis: HOT LINKS

Donald TrumpCLINTON FOUNDATION. Trump calls for it to shut down: “Hillary Clinton is the defender of the corrupt and rigged status quo. The Clintons have spent decades as insiders lining their own pockets and taking care of donors instead of the American people,” Trump said in a statement released through his campaign. “It is now clear that the Clinton Foundation is the most corrupt enterprise in political history. What they were doing during Crooked Hillary’s time as Secretary of State was wrong then, and it is wrong now. It must be shut down immediately.”

hillary clinton orlandoTHOSE DAMN EMAILS. FBI uncovers “tens of thousands” more documents: “The State Department is expected to discuss when and how it will release the emails Monday morning in federal court. The total — confirmed by the Justice Department — was disclosed by a conservative legal group after the State Department said last week that it would hand over the emails. The number to be released is nearly 50 percent more than the 30,000-plus that Clinton’s lawyers deemed work-related and returned to the department in December 2014.”

Sean HannityGOT HIS EAR. Sean Hannity is Trump’s advisor: “Several people I’ve spoken with over the last couple of weeks said Mr. Hannity had for months peppered Mr. Trump, his family members and advisers with suggestions on strategy and messaging. So involved is Mr. Hannity that three separate denizens of the hall of mirrors that is Trump World told me they believed Mr. Hannity was behaving as if he wanted a role in a possible Trump administration — something he denied to me as laughable and contractually prohibitive in an interview on Friday.”

Jim GrayKENTUCKY. Washington Post profiles gay Senate candidate Jim Gray: “Gray is the only openly gay candidate running for Senate from a major party this cycle, a status that is drawing the spotlight to his otherwise longshot Democratic bid to unseat Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). And he says that his sexuality is simply not an issue in the race. ‘It’s been a wedge issue for a long time,’ Gray, 62, said in an interview. ‘But what I find today is that people care about results and performance. I haven’t seen it. I have not seen it as a problem.’ Gray is trailing Paul in the polls, but that hasn’t diminished his role in the 2016 narrative.”

RIO 2016. Prince Harry congratulates Usain Bolt.

Congratulations @usainbolt – now you’re officially the greatest you might be ready for a re-run! 😉 Happy 30th -H. pic.twitter.com/Wa0yOZMDc2

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) August 21, 2016

TIGHTY-WHITIES. Josh Duhamel dons some undies, but we wish they were tighter.

Michael KirbyAUSTRALIAFormer High Court justice Michael Kirby says plebiscite on gay marriage sets dangerous precedent.  “It will mean any time that there is something that is controversial, that’s difficult for the parliamentarians to address or they don’t want to address, they’ll send it out to a plebiscite.  I think that’s a very bad way. Our Parliament, our parliamentary institutions in Australia and elsewhere are really not working all that well at the moment and what we should be doing is strengthening Parliament and ensuring it gets on with the job.”

SAM KENDRICKS. US track and field athlete and Army reservist was about to make a pole vault, but then he heard the National Anthem.

ADONIS. This is the oldest tree in Europe: “The tree was first planted in 941AD – some 87 years before William the Conqueror was even born – and has now been discovered by scientists at Stockholm University and the University of Mainz.”

Adonis: Bosinan pine in Greece Europe’s oldest tree (1075 yrs) survived Byzantins & Ottomans t.co/mgPBqiBu9R pic.twitter.com/aKhvmGHvFL

— Carl J. Königel (@CarlKonigel) August 22, 2016

 

AUSTRALIA. First recorded wombat attack on a human in Canberra: “I was laying screaming for help, I couldn’t get away from it, every time I managed to get up it attacked me and bit me and knocked me to the ground. I really thought I was going to lay there and die that night because I just couldn’t see how I was going to get away from it, it just wasn’t stopping its attack.”

ON TOUR. Drake had a moment with Frank Underwood.

Instagram Photo

 

SHAVING. Hugh Jackman took off his Wolverine mutton chops this morning.

My wife is going to be very happy. #GoodbyeChops #TheDebs pic.twitter.com/CzJFRWR1Sy

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) August 22, 2016

TIME-LAPSE OF THE DAY. “The hauntingly beautiful pyrocumulus cloud formations caused by the Rey Fire. Shot from East Camino Cielo Road.”

A ROSE IS A SOAP IS A ROSE. This new fancy soap delivery system is going viral because who doesn’t want their soap in the shape of a perfect rose?

Instagram Photo

 

LOVE ON THE BRAIN. Rihanna’s next single.

Instagram Photo

 

E-MO-TION. Carly Rae Jepsen has something new coming.

Happy 1 year E•MO•TION! Your anniversary present is coming this Friday 8/26 🙊 pic.twitter.com/GXjYO9FsUS

— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) August 21, 2016

MONDAY MUSCLE. Wilson Cruz.

Instagram Photo

 

Instagram Photo

 

Instagram Photo

 

Instagram Photo

 

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Boy Band Mogul Lou Pearlman Dies in Prison

Boy Band Mogul Lou Pearlman Dies in Prison

Lou pearlman

Former boy band mogul Lou Perlman, who spawned the careers of late 90s/early aughts pop phenoms such as N*SYNC, The Backstreet Boys, O-Town, and LFO, has died in prison. Pearlman was 62, serving a 25 year sentence for orchestrating a $300 million ponzi scheme.

6a00d8341c730253ef00e5526b76538834-640wiPearlman was sentenced back in 2008 after defrauding banks and investors–some of whom were his friends and elderly–of millions of dollars over a period of two decades.

The NY Daily News reports: 

Pearlman was nabbed on a single bank fraud charge while living under a pseudonym in Indonesia, where local authorities expelled the music producer as “an undesirable visitor” and handed him over to the FBI.

He was sentenced in 2008 to 25 years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and money laundering charges related to the multi-million fraud scheme.

Pearlman, who garnered the nickname “Big Poppa,” targets included several elderly victims — some of whom were his friends and relatives.

It’s unclear which prison was housing Pearlman when he died.

Former N*SYNC member Lance Bass responded to the news on Twitter, writing, “Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away. He might not have been a stand up businessman , but I wouldn’t be doing what I love today wout his influence. RIP Lou”

Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away. He might not have been a stand up businessman , but I (cont) t.co/nsczUEVOOQ

— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) August 20, 2016

Fellow N*SYNCer and perhaps Pearlman’s most famous protege, Justin Timberlake, wrote, “I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman.”

I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman.

— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 21, 2016

Backstreet Boy member AJ McLean meanwhile said, “Many emotions at the news of Lou’s passing. Without Lou I wouldn’t have met my four brothers or had the opportunity of a lifetime. RIP.”

Many emotions at the news of Lou’s passing. Without Lou I wouldn’t have met my four brothers or had the opportunity of a lifetime. RIP.

— AJ McLean (@skulleeroz) August 21, 2016

As Matthew Rettenmund over at Boy Culture notes, it was widely rumored throughout Pearlman’s career that he made advances towards the young male pop-star wannabes whose careers he was guiding. Though he himself was not openly gay. Of Pearlman’s sexuality, Rettenmund writes,

Lou obviously loved being around hot young guys, but never copped to being gay. At a mall promo in Orlando, he sidled up to me one time discreetly to offer me access to a Chippendales show (he was an owner at the time). It was a kind gesture, since he knew I was gay, but also surreal because he was saying the words as if he himself were not.

In my opinion—and others knew him way better—he was not someone who had a bunch of secret gay friends around whom he would let down his hair, like closeted Hollywood stars; rather, he seemed to be someone who was pathologically in denial, but whose urges would come out in private, one-on-one, only when he was in total control.

[Top image via Wikipedia]

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BREAKING: Judge’s Decision to Block Federal Guidance on Trans Students Puts Thousands at Risk

BREAKING: Judge’s Decision to Block Federal Guidance on Trans Students Puts Thousands at Risk

Today, HRC responded to a federal judge’s decision to issue an injunction on guidance provided to school districts by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice regarding the civil rights of transgender students. In Texas v. United States, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor blocked the Department of Justice from enforcing the guidance that clarifies transgender students have a right to be free from discrimination in schools, including a right to use restrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity.

“Judge O’Connor’s decision to bar the Department of Justice from enforcing this important guidance puts thousands of transgender students at even greater risk of marginalization, harassment, and discrimination as they return to school this fall,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “All students, regardless of their gender identity, deserve to be able to learn in an environment free from discrimination. Despite this judge’s decision, schools are not barred from following the federal guidance, and school administrators still have a responsibility to ensure that the civil rights of all students are respected and that transgender students have access to facilities consistent with their gender identity. As lawsuits on the scope of Title IX proceed, we believe that justice will prevail as courts continue to recognize that discrimination against transgender students is a form of sex discrimination.”

On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released the guidance because schools and districts requested clarification on their obligations under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination in education programs based on sex. Clarifying how schools can safeguard transgender students’ rights to privacy and safety, the guidance makes clear that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination, including the ability to use gender-separated facilities (such as restrooms and locker rooms) that match their gender identity. The guidance follows similar policies in states and school districts across the country, including many that have been treating transgender students with dignity and respect for more than a decade.

In March of 2015, Judge O’Connor also sought to block Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rights for legally married same-sex couples despite the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in United States v. Windsor (2013).

www.hrc.org/blog/breaking-judges-decision-to-block-federal-guidance-on-trans-students-puts-t?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

An Honest Open Letter to the LGBT Community from a Girl with the Straight Heart

An Honest Open Letter to the LGBT Community from a Girl with the Straight Heart

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An Honest Open Letter to the LGBT Community from a Girl with the Straight Heart

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An Honest Open Letter to the LGBT Community from a Girl with the Straight Heart

New Hillary Clinton Ad Warns What ‘One Wrong Move’ by Trump Would Cost America: WATCH

New Hillary Clinton Ad Warns What ‘One Wrong Move’ by Trump Would Cost America: WATCH

Donald Trump one wrong move

Hillary Clinton’s campaign unveiled a new ad that warns voters what “one wrong move” from Donald Trump could cost America and features Trump delivering lines that show he’s not someone that understands “steady leadership, clear thinking” or “calm judgment.”

“Knock the crap out of em, would you? Seriously.”

“I know more about ISIS than the generals do. Believe me.”

“And you can tell them to go f**k themselves.”

“I would bomb the sh*t out of them.”

Watch:

ABC News reports that the Clinton campaign has made an $80 million ad but in 8 battleground states:

The buy – which includes $3 million in additional ads for the remainder of August and nearly $77 million for September and October – is for Florida, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina, as well as the Omaha area of Nebraska.

It does not include the battleground states of Colorado and Virginia, where earlier this month the campaign temporarily stopped airing ads due to strong poll numbers. (A campaign aide explained that while there are no plans to go back on the airwaves in either state, they may decide to do so in the future.)

In addition, the campaign has purchased $15 million in radio ads.

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