Trans Actress Alexis Arquette Dead at 47

Known for her roles in films like The Wedding Singer, Arquette passed away surrounded by her family.

www.advocate.com/film/2016/9/11/trans-actress-alexis-arquette-dead-47

Actress Alexis Arquette Has Died at 47

Actress and activist Alexis Arquette has died. She was 47.

The news of Arquette’s death was first reported on the sites X17 and RadarOnline, which posted a screenshot of a Facebook announcement by Arquette’s brother Richmond. Arquette’s other siblings are the actors David, Patricia, and Rosanna Arquette.

TMZ confirmed the actress’s death with her family and reported that Arquette had been “battling an illness.”

Arquette’s brother Richmond, who referred to his sibling as “our brother Robert, who became our brother Alexis, who became our sister Alexis, who became our brother Alexis,” said on Facebook that Arquette died surrounded by family and “loved ones,” adding, “We were playing music for him and he passed during Bowie’s Starman. As per his wishes, we cheered at the moment he transitioned to another dimension.”

Pop music icon Boy George also tweeted a tribute to Arquette:

R.I.P my sister Alexis Arquette. Another bright light gone out far too soon. Love to the family and all that loved Alexis.

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) September 11, 2016

Arquette’s most notable film role was Georgette in Last Exit to Brooklyn. She also took roles in I Think I Do, Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror, The Wedding Singer, Blended and Sometimes They Come Back… Again and on television in The Surreal Life and Bravo’s Top Design.

Arquette’s transition was documented in the 2007 film Alexis Arquette: She’s My Brother. Here are some outtakes from that film:

Here’s the screenshot of the post Arquette’s brother Richmond made to friends on Facebook on Sunday morning:

Patricia Arquette tweeted the videos to “Starman”on Sunday morning, writing “Breaking through the veil singing StarMan…”

Breaking through the veil singing StarMan t.co/A3way5S3Lb

— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 11, 2016

As well as the the track “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex, writing, “To My first best friend…”

To My first best friend – Cosmic Dancer t.co/jgAqLrqxW0

— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 11, 2016

The post Actress Alexis Arquette Has Died at 47 appeared first on Towleroad.

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Will Pope Evolve on Marriage Equality? Tim Kaine Thinks So (Video)

The possible future vice president of the United States told an LGBT audience that he believes the Roman Catholic Church will embrace same-sex marriage.

www.advocate.com/marriage-equality/2016/9/11/will-pope-evolve-marriage-equality-tim-kaine-thinks-so-video

13 Homoerotic Superhero Costumes

A genre where guys in peak physical condition lead double lives and wear skin-tight outfits was destined to grab a super-sized gay fan following.

However, while the realm of comic book superheroes is overflowing with sexy studs in spandex, there are a few who have cranked up the queer side of the genre with their bold fashion choices – and we love them for it.

Here are 13 of the most homoerotic costumes in DC and Marvel Comics history.

1. Black Condor

Richard Grey Jr. gained the ability to fly after being exposed to a radioactive meteor. Under the guise of Black Condor, he donned this little slice of fabulous and joined Uncle Sam as a member of the Freedom Fighters during World War II.

2. Power Boy

One of DC’s fiercest female superheroes, Power Girl, is also one of the fiercest examples of female objectification in comics when she sports her most iconic costume – which includes a convenient window that shows off her ample cleavage. However, the comics publisher flipped the objectification script with the introduction of Power Boy and incorporated the same “chest window” into his skin-tight costume – which he filled out in all the right places.

3. Hawkman
DC’s winged wonder has worn many different costumes since his making his debut in 1940. However, his classic skin-baring original that remains a gay fan favorite – for obvious reasons.

RELATED: 37 Unintentionally Gay Moments In Comic Book History

4. Goliath (Clint Barton)
For a time, the Avengers’ ace archer Clint Barton (Hawkeye) gained the superhuman ability to change his size with the help of fellow teammate Hank Pym’s size-altering particles. He took on the codename Goliath and for some reason thought wearing an outfit that looks like it belongs on a float in the middle of a gay pride parade was the perfect choice to fight intergalactic evil.

5. Tyroc

This Legion of Superheroes member is one of the few characters who wear a costume that screams “disco strippers in space” and make it work. Those shoes though…

6. He-Man

Obviously the spirits of Grayskull are more than a little queer. Why else would they transform Prince Adam into this scantily-clad beefcake who was solely responsible for the sexual awaking of thousands of gay boys throughout the 1980s.

7. Grimbor the Chainsman

The Legion of Superheroes villain is proof the practice of BDSM and leather bars are alive and well in the 31st century.

8. Namor

Marvel’s first mutant was also the first superhero in comics history who made us believe a man with a love of textured Speedos could be a dom top.

9. Cosmic Boy

The future magnetism master and Legion leader has never been one to shy away from his feminine side, often rocking pink and purple costumes throughout his superhero career – as well as this sexy, sassy little number in the 70s.

10. Daken

Wolverine’s bisexual son often favored wearing nothing more than some ink and a black pair of pants – perfect for fighting the forces of evil or dancing until the early morning at a circuit party.

RELATED: 11 Uncanny Gay And Bisexual X-Men

11. Gravity Kid

Legion Academy member Tel Vole’s costume accentuates some of his best assets, and proves superheroes don’t have to sacrifice sex appeal to battle the forces of evil in style.

12. Martian Manhunter

J’onn J’onzz’s classic costume made the standard uniform of a go-go boy look regal with just a few accessories and one fabulous high-collared cape.

Robin

The original colorful costume of Batman’s sidekick seemed innocent enough when it was worn by a boy. But when the creative minds at DC Comics decided to finally allow the Boy Wonder become a young adult without updating his costume those green shorts and tight red tunic turned Dick Grayson into one of the DC Universe’s biggest male sex symbols. (A status he still firmly holds today as Nightwing.) Artist George Perez purposefully played up Robin’s sexier side throughout the 1980s in the comic New Teen Titans – where Grayson often found his costume getting strategically ripped to shreds on adventures.

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These Guys’ Sex Lives May Leave You Puzzled. Are They On To Something?

Self love is a uniting characteristic of peaceful, happy people, but it’s also one that is sorely lacking in many corners of the LGBTQ community. So many of our brothers and sisters are told from an early age that they aren’t good enough and never will be, and even though we seek out friends, lovers and acquaintances that insist otherwise, the damage often sticks around in our psychic crevices.

Reclaiming love for yourself can be a powerful step towards happiness, but it doesn’t happen over night and it can take on many forms.

For some, removing the cycle of sexual conquest can help get there. We’d never suggest this is the only course to take, or that it’s the right one for everyone, but taking a temporary break from lust can certainly help clear the mind.

Here’s what guys are saying about the process on Whisper:

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Why We Really Really Really Really Really Really Like Carly Rae Jepsen: Gay Iconography

Even among the most beloved pop stars in modern memory, few have been embraced as quickly or fervently as Canadian bubblegum-pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen. A brief four-year stint in the public eye and only 2.5 (excellent) albums is typically tough to qualify as iconic, but there is a unique devotion Jepsen has inspired in her gay fans.

Part of the appeal lies in her perfectly-crafted earworms, unabashedly bathed in joy and unconcerned with the EDM and hip-hop stylings permeating the pop landscape. It’s pop music at its purest, and it is irresistible. The cost of eschewing a lot of what’s driving popular music today has also made Jepsen something of an underdog across the pop landscape — an attribute that only endears her more to her gay fans. (One of our favorite examples is the gay guy who got tackled off his bicycle for accidentally riding into Pres. Obama’s motorcade on his way to a hookup while blasting “Call Me Maybe” in his headphones.)

And the feeling is mutual. Jepsen’s been an stalwart supporter of the LGBTQ community since appearing on the scene. She’s been vocal on social media, performed at Pride celebrations and even canceled a 2013 performance with the Boy Scouts of America, tweeting “As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer.”

“In Canada, I had tons of friends who I grew up with who are gay or lesbian,” she told PrideSource in a 2015 interview. “I had one friend in particular, and I saw just how hard it was for him when his family found out he was gay – they shunned him, actually. He thought he was gonna have to make it on his own and move out – it was heartbreaking for all of us. We didn’t really understand it, and that’s probably when I began to really get angry about the pain that was caused for what I thought was no reason. Moving to the U.S. and seeing how big of an issue it is made me want to help and bring awareness to the subject.”

Surrender yourself to CRJ’s pop perfection with a few of our favorite clips below.

Before she topped the charts with “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen was a top-three finalist on Canadian Idol. She wowed the judges with an audition of an original song, and she competed with performances of “Torn,” “Come to My Window” and Queen’s “Killer Queen.”

Of course, you can’t talk about CRJ without talking about her worldwide smash “Call Me Maybe.” The infectious tune that launched 1,000 lip dubs was propelled into the collective consciousness when Justin Bieber tweeted about it to his millions of rabid social media followers. The ensuing buzz rocketed the track to the top of the charts. The song’s video included a cheeky twist wherein the object of Jepsen’s innocent crush turns out to be gay, seeding an early relationship with her gay fans. “When we shot the ‘Call Me Maybe’ video, we weren’t even thinking the ending was not normal,” she told TIME Magazine during the peak “Call Me Maybe” mania in 2012. “I have so many gay friends that I love. It’s a regular thing. And if my video is encouraging that mind frame with other children and other people — well, it’s about time, I guess!”

Although the full-length album rushed out to capitalize on the success of “Call Me Maybe,” Kiss was full of stellar tracks that further proved her pop mastery, yet it struggled commercially. Jepsen took time away from the pop music machine for a stint on Broadway playing the titular Cinderella opposite Fran Drescher. She described the experience to Elle Canada: “Being around people who not only didn’t care if you were in the pop world but actually preferred if you weren’t took my head out of that game in a really healthy way. Suddenly, it wasn’t about sitting down and writing a song but having an idea while walking through New York City and thinking ‘Where’s my phone?’” Jepsen would revisit musical theater with an appearance in Fox’s Grease Live in 2016.

When Jepsen was ready to release her follow-up to Kiss, she had more than 200 songs from which to whittle down the final tracklist. The final batch of ‘80s-synth inspired gems featured contributions from queer artists like Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange), Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Sia. Despite a tepid commercial response, the album cemented Jepsen as a critical darling. Check out the relentlessly charming video for E•MO•TION’s lead single “I Really Like You” above. Last month, Jepsen released another eight tracks from the E•MO•TION sessions as a special B-side album, once again drawing praise from critics.

Queer aesthetics are in full display in Jepsen’s “Boy Problems” video. The subtext of the song’s lyrics — about caring more about a relationship with a close female friend than a break-up with a boyfriend — already led to Jezebel calling it “A Beautiful Gay Song of Discovery.” The video has tiaras, slumber parties, coffin selfies, glitter, sequins, dance parties; it’s a 2016 Lisa Frank dark, twisted fantasy. It also prominently features trans model Torraine Futurum.

What’s your favorite Carly Rae Jepsen song?

The post Why We Really Really Really Really Really Really Like Carly Rae Jepsen: Gay Iconography appeared first on Towleroad.

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Hillary Clinton Emerges ‘Feeling Much Better’ Following ‘Overheated’ Exit from 9/11 Event: VIDEO

Hillary Clinton abruptly left a September 11th Commemoration Ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial after just an hour and a half. Aides reported that Clinton was feeling “overheated”. Clinton was taken by van to her daughter Chelsea’s apartment in NYC’s Gramercy neighborhood.

Clinton emerged late Sunday morning from the apartment smiling at reporters and saying she was “feeling much better.”

Video: @HillaryClinton departs Chelsea Clinton’s NYC apartment: t.co/JvxjpKBz9O

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 11, 2016

The Washington Post reported on the earlier event:

Just before noon, it was 82 degrees and humid at Ground Zero, though it was probably a bit cooler when Clinton left two hours earlier. Reporters traveling with Clinton could not see her directly, but the politicians around her were all standing and packed tightly together. It was not clear if she was standing in direct sunlight, but there was not much shade anywhere at the service.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) told MSNBC that Clinton seemed “perfectly normal” when he encountered her earlier at the ceremony. He noted that it “was incredibly stifling” at the event and several people were sweating through their clothes.

A video allegedly taken as she was leaving the 9/11 memorial shows Clinton being assisted on to her van by aides. NBC New York reported that “the NYPD was sent to pick up a shoe that fell off her foot.”

Hillary Clinton 9/11 NYC pic.twitter.com/q9YnsjTxss

— Zdenek Gazda (@zgazda66) September 11, 2016

EARLIER:

On Saturday, Clinton said she regretted remarks she made on Friday night which pointed out that the Trump campaign uses hate speech to draw supporters, characterizing half of Trump’s supporters as a”racist, sexist, homophobic xenophobic, Islamaphobic” “basket of deplorables.”

Said Clinton in the remarks:

I know there are only 60 days left to make our case–and don’t get complacent, don’t see the latest outrageous, offensive, inappropriate comment and think well he’s done now. We are living in a volatile political environment.

You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. They’re racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up. He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people – now have 11 million. He tweets and retweets their offensive, hateful, mean-spirited rhetoric.

Now some of these folks, they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.

But the other basket–and I know this because I see friends from all over America here–I see friends from Florida and Georgia and South Carolina and Texas–as well as, you know, New York and California–but that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they’re just desperate for change. It doesn’t really even matter where it comes from. They don’t buy everything he says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. They won’t wake up and see their jobs disappear, lose a kid to heroin, feel like they’re in a dead end. Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well.

Watch:

Clinton on Saturday expressed “regret” over the remarks but it was not an apology:

“I won’t stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign.” —Hillary pic.twitter.com/C3Z7GybJ53

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 10, 2016

Trump released a statement on Saturday defending his hateful, racist, and bigoted campaign:

“Isn’t it disgraceful that Hillary Clinton makes the worst mistake of the political season and instead of owning up to this grotesque attack on American voters, she tries to turn it around with a pathetic rehash of the words and insults used in her failing campaign?” Trump said in a statement. “For the first time in a long while, her true feelings came out, showing bigotry and hatred for millions of Americans.”

The post Hillary Clinton Emerges ‘Feeling Much Better’ Following ‘Overheated’ Exit from 9/11 Event: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

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