Cheyenne Jackson Officially Graduates To Daddy Status

Cheyenne Jackson is officially a daddy.

The 41-year-old American Horror Story star and his husband of two years, Jason Landau, just shared a bunch of pictures on Instagram of their brand new baby twinsies, Willow and Ethan.

Related: Cheyenne Jackson Marries Boyfriend In Front Of Celeb Friends

“Best day of our lives,” Cheyenne wrote. ” We will never recover. Welcome to the world our beautiful Willow and Ethan.”

He later added: “I never knew how much I needed my daughter’s dimples.”

Related: Orlando Cruz, Cheyenne Jackson And Paco Leon Take Their Clothes Off For Your Vote

Jason shared some of his own pictures as well.

“Today my husband and I brought our son and daughter into this world,” he wrote. “Willow and Ethan just made us the happiest people and so thankful to now start our lives together as a family.”

Scroll down to see the adorable photos, and join us in saying congrats to the new dads…

 

 

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Wax Sculpture Justin Bieber Is Wet, Shirtless, And Only Faintly Frightening

Flanked by spirited backup dancers, and poutier than ever, Madame Tussauds London just revealed its brand new Justin Bieber wax sculpture to the world. But is the world ready?

Related: PHOTOS: Justin Bieber Skinny-Dips Again, And Of Course The Photos Are Out

Demonstrated by the promotional video below, the wax version of Biebs is far more deserving of all those teenybopper screams and shrieks than the real thing. That’s because wax sculpture Justin Bieber skulks through the streets of London at night and eats all the children.

??? #ItsRainingBiebs pic.twitter.com/N7MQGCUlZV

— Madame Tussauds (@MadameTussauds) October 9, 2016

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National Coming Out Day Has Vital Legal Implications in a Political Season Fraught with Hate

Today is National Coming Out Day. It is important every year, but particularly during a political campaign fraught with anti-minority demagoguery. Coming out also has a significant impact on the law, both on the books and how equality gets operationalized on the ground.

As we learned from the push for marriage equality, voters who knew openly gay persons were more likely to support LGBTQ equality, generally, and the freedom to marry, in particular, than those who did not.

In fact, researchers found a direct causal relationship between switching opinions from anti- to pro-marriage equality and meeting and getting to know an openly gay neighbor, co-worker, or family member. This was one of the chief motivators behind the campaign’s “neighborhood” approach.

During popular votes in Maine, for example, organizers encouraged openly gay sons and daughters to talk to their parents, their parents’ neighbors, their parents’ friends, old teachers, and other community members.

They asked openly gay Mainers to reach out to their neighbors to make sure they knew they were happily living among gay people. And since Maine voted twice on marriage equality — once in 2009, overturning the legislature’s pro-equality vote, and again in 2012, enacting marriage equality by a 53-47 vote — the effect of the neighborhood approach was evident. Mainers who had voted against marriage equality in 2009 but supported in 2012 spoke about how conversations with openly gay Mainers helped change their minds.

Coming out helps in other ways. More openly gay voters means more openly gay policymakers. And legislatures with openly gay members are less likely to pass anti-gay legislation. This makes the work of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund so important.

But the effects on the ground may be even more important. Openness about our identities and living our truths can help demystify worlds that many voters consider foreign.

We have seen this most recently in the media portrayals and public discourse surrounding anti-transgender laws like North Carolina’s HB 2. To many North Carolina voters, and certainly to the state’s isolated and bigoted governor, transgender individuals are not only “others,” they are completely unknowns.

The mystery and otherness of the transgender community allows opponents to fill the void with hate, lies, and nonsense.

It is, of course, a complete pretext to suggest that men are masking as transgender to attack women in bathrooms. As the revelation of Donald Trump’s bragging about sexually assaulting women shows, women in public bathrooms have much more to fear from toxic masculinity than transgender women. And yet, the public narrative, burdened by a lack of transgender role models, could be bent away from the truth.

Coming out, whether as transgender, lesbian, bisexual, or gay, matters for many reasons: for our mental health, our self esteem, and our long term happiness and success. It is also important we make our voices heard so the majority cannot ignore us when our rights and very livelihood come up for a vote.

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National Coming Out Day Has Vital Legal Implications in a Political Season Fraught with Hate

Seth Meyers: Trump is That Creepy Flasher in the Locker Room – WATCH

On Late Night, Seth Meyers took a closer look at the Donald Trump and Billy Bush tape in which Trump brags about assaulting women on a bus during an Access Hollywood shoot.

Meyers made three astute observations about the state of the race.

The first was about Trump:

“So a man who is this close to the highest office in the land now occupies the lowest office in the land: the pervert on the bus.”

The second was about the Bush family:

“Billy Bush, who somehow passed Jeb for ‘Worst Performing Bush of 2016’.”

And the third was about American culture:

“It should be noted NBC suspended Billy Bush from the TODAY show for his words on this tape, which means there is currently a higher standard for host of the third hour of the TODAY show than there is for Republican nominee for president.”

Meyers looked at Paul Ryan’s attempt to distance himself from Trump without removing his endorsement:

“Paul Ryan is so spineless at this point they carry him to and from events in a bucket.”

Meyers then moved on to Trump’s explanation of the remarks as “locker room talk” at Sunday night’s debate. And he left us with an image that might scar us forever:

“That is not the way men in locker rooms talk. Second of all, this is the problem. Trump treats the entire world like the inside of a men’s locker room. And you just know he’s the locker room type who towel dries his hair while he’s buck naked with one leg up on the bench so everyone has to avert their eyes to avoid looking at his saggy ballsack.”

Watch:

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Seth Meyers: Trump is That Creepy Flasher in the Locker Room – WATCH

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: October 11, 2016

NC SHOWDOWN TONIGHT: As North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper head into their first gubernatorial debate, everyone’s awaiting their face-off over McCrory’s controversial and hateful HB2 law. New polling shows Cooper pulling away, leading McCrory 49-42, as an explosive new story overnight exposes the depths of the Governor’s unwillingness to fix the HB2 debacle that has harmed countless people and saddled North Carolina with six months of ongoing economic fallout. The debate will air statewide starting at 7 p.m. What’s driving the pre-debate coverage in North Carolina today:

• McCrory courted anti-LGBTQ pastors as deadly hurricane bore down on NC: BuzzFeed’s Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) reports exclusively that as Hurricane Matthew barreled toward his state, McCrory “spent the night on stage addressing far-right pastors, asking them to support the state’s controversial anti-LGBT law and back his reelection.” McCrory engaged in his usual self pity, complaining he is being “shunned” for HB2, and whining about reports, including recently in The New York Times and The Washington Post, that the discriminatory law is damaging the state and sinking his political fortunes. More here.
• “McCrory: Willing to Discriminate at Any Cost” HRC is releasing a new video highlighting the economic backlash North Carolina has suffered since McCrory hastily signed HB2 into law after legislators rammed it through in less than a day.
• Tonight’s debate comes as McCrory is sinking in the polls and opposition to HB2 continues to grow — a recent poll found that seven in 10 NC voters say that McCrory’s discriminatory law has been bad for the state.
• President Obama will be in Greensboro today, rallying students at North Carolina A&T University for Hillary Clinton.
• WRAL’s editorial board urges voters to back candidates who will repeal HB2, writing that “any candidates for public office who won’t support and vote for its immediate repeal, should not have the honor of receiving anyone’s vote or holding public office.” The state has “suffered enough,” the board writes, due to McCrory and crew’s “desperate, needless and misguided grasp to foment a campaign wedge issue…”
• The matchup will be moderated by Chuck Todd (@ChuckTodd), host of NBC’s Meet the Press, who has closely questioned McCrory previously about HB2. It didn’t go so well for McCrory, who made the specious claim that he “didn’t know” of any employment discrimination targeting LGBTQ people and admitted that parts of HB2 were “poorly thought out.”
• Meanwhile, McCrory has finally agreed to a second debate on Oct. 18.

#turnOUT THE VOTE:

• In Iowa: Yesterday, HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) rallied phone bankers in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to get out the LGBTQ vote.
• In Nebraska: Today, Griffin kicks off early voting in Omaha. In 2008, President Obama won Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Omaha, by just 1,260 votes — in a state home to more than 39,000 LGBTQ voters.

HRC CELEBRATES NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY WITH VIDEO FEATURING OUT CELEBRITIES: Today, HRC marks National Coming Out Day by releasing a new video highlighting actors, athletes, musicians, and others who are helping to advance equality by coming out and sharing their stories. HRC is also featuring guides and resources that are part of its National Coming Out Project. “Coming out — whether as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or as an ally — is incredibly important in our fight to advance LGBTQ equality,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, HRC Senior Vice President for Programs, Research, and Training. “It takes bravery and courage to come out, and by speaking up and sharing our stories, we are helping to make the world a better place by changing hearts and minds.” More from USA Today.

• Musician Rayvon Owen (@RayvonOwen), who came out this year, is taking over the @HRC twitter feed today at 11:30 a.m ET.… he’s among many celebrities and public figures who have come out for equality in 2016.
• LGBTQ visibility has also increased in sports, thanks in large part to athletes, coaches and staff who have bravely come out over the last several years. More here.

TUESDAY TWEET: Mother Jones reporter Kevin Drum (@KDrum) calls out Trump’s ridiculous assertion yesterday at a Pennsylvania rally that he considers himself to be “a blue collar worker”…

Donald Trump today: “I consider myself in a certain way to be a blue collar worker.” pic.twitter.com/YYWVj6l2BN

— Kevin Drum (@kdrum) October 10, 2016

FLORIDA FEDERAL COURT EXTENDS VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Yesterday, the Florida’s Federal Court extended the voter registration deadline to 5 p.m on Wednesday to give Floridians affected by Hurricane Matthew the opportunity to vote in the 2016 elections. Yesterday, HRC called on Florida Governor Rick Scott to extend the deadline after he rejected similar requests; the Florida Democratic Party filed a lawsuit seeking an extension. Florida is home to 20 million voters, including at least 550,000 LGBTQ adults.

• In a conversation with Logo TV’s political correspondent Raymond Braun (@RaymondBraun), Griffin emphasizes the importance of the LGBTQ vote in this election. Watch at Logo TV.

HRC ENDORSES DEBORAH ROSS OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR U.S. SENATE: Yesterday, HRC announced its endorsement of Deborah Ross for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Richard Burr. As a candidate, Ross has spoken out and called for the repeal of the vile and dangerous HB2. Meanwhile, Burr has repeatedly opposed LGBTQ equality during his time in office. He has refused to support the Equality Act, and voted against the bipartisan Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Student Non-Discrimination Act and hate crimes protections. More from HRC.

CAMEROON POLICE RAID LGBTQ BAR: This weekend, police in Cameroon blockaded the entrance to a bar, arresting dozens of LGBTQ people inside. More from Pink News.

READING RAINBOW

Manila Times explores the lives of transgender Indonesians, and the discrimination they face… The New York Times reviews the memoir of a transgender boy growing up in New York City… Pink News shares Australians’ frustrations with Parliament’s stall on marriage equality… San Diego LGBT Weekly says that TV station Logo will censor LGBTQ content on National Coming Out Day in solidarity with foreign countries who ban LGBTQ media… Culturess highlights 30 LGBTQ characters on TV… 

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-october-11-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

PHOTOS: Leather Bears Just Wanna Have Fun In Atlanta

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17 People Who Kicked Down The Closet Door This Year (So Far)

Every day someone helps further LGBTQ acceptance by coming out and proudly proclaiming who they are for the very first time.

This year, students, singers, politicians, filmmakers, actors, models, athletes, British Royal Family members and many more publicly added to that rainbow chorus that is enveloping the world.

We’re celebrating National Coming Out Day with a look back at these 17 people who bravely kicked down the closet door in 2016 and helped change the world for the better by simply being themselves.

1. Brian Anderson

The legendary pro skateboarder came out as gay in a Vice Sports mini-documentary.
“I consider myself a skateboarder first, gay second,” he said. “I’m a skater, that’s all I know.”

2. Colton Haynes

The actor/model ended years of speculation about his sexuality this year when he came out to Entertainment Weekly in May and opened up about the difficult journey he’s had on the way to becoming a totally out and proud gay man.

“It took me so long to get to this point, but I’m doing so good,” Haynes said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and healthier than I’ve ever been, and that’s what I care about.”

3. Lilly Wachowski

Following in the footsteps of her sister and directing partner Lana Wachowski, The Matrix and Sense8 co-creator revealed she is also a transgender woman and encouraged a new approach to the way we discuss the concept of gender.

“We need to elevate the dialogue beyond the simplicity of binary,” she said in a statement published by the Windy City Times. “Binary is a false idol.”

4. Lord Ivar Mountbatten

Queen Elizabeth’s cousin is the first member of British Royal Family to utter the words, “I’m gay.” Lord Ivar Mountbatten came out in an interview with the Daily Mail in September.

“When I was growing up, it was known as ‘the love that dare not speak its name,’ but what’s amazing now is how far we have all come in terms of acceptance,” he said.

5. Ryan Beatty

“Proud to be a raging homosexual. It’s taken 20 years of suffocating in the closet for me to become comfortable enough to say it, but now I can finally breathe. I did it!” the 20-year-old singer revealed on Instagram in June.

6. Nyle DiMarco

He made history as the first deaf contestant to compete on America’s Next Top Model and then made his legions of queer fans very happy when he stated that he is sexually fluid after a fan tweeted him asking if he liked boys or girls.

7. Waylon Smithers

Finally, after 27 seasons, Mr. Burns’ right-hand man kicked down the closet door and officially ended the longest coming out story in history in the April 3rd episode of The Simpsons.

8. Brandon Davis

In a moving interview with OutSports, the Montana State football and rugby player opened up about the difficulties of being an out college athlete.

“My name is Brandon Davis, and I am a proud gay African-American athlete,” he said. “There’s no better copy than the original, and there is no better feeling in the world waking up without having to put on a mask. Know who you are and be yourself, you only get one time to be alive so don’t waste your years being a replica of what society wants you to be.”

9. Charlie Carver

Teen Wolf and Desperate Housewives heartthrob Charlie Carver started off the year with a bang by coming out as gay in a touching five-part essay on Instagram and noted his identical twin brother, Max, “is just as cool for being straight.”

10. Aubrey Plaza

The Parks and Recreation star, who also voiced the Internet’s most famous feline in Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever, came out as bisexual in an interview with The Advocate.

“Girls are into me — that’s no secret. Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it,” she said.

11. Stephanie Beatriz

Stephanie Beatriz took advantage of Aubrey Plaza’s coming out to reveal she swings both ways as well. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star tweeted a link to Plaza’s comments about falling in love with both sexes with a simple, “Yup.” She then followed up after a fan asked for clarification with another tweet that read “yes y’all” and included an emoji of a man kissing a woman as well as one of two women kissing.

12. Nathan Fort

The college basketball player from rural Arkansas came out as gay and bravely discussed being a survivor of sexual assault in a heart-wrenching piece he penned for OutSports.

“It’s important to me to share this now because I know many other guys have been in similar situations,” he wrote.

13. Trey Pearson

Christian rock singer Trey Pearson boldly came out in an emotional letter that fueled a feature on him in 614 Columbus magazine.

He wrote, “To make an extremely long story short, I have come to be able to admit to myself, and to my family, that I am gay.”

13. Maria Munir
At a town hall event in London earlier this year, the courageous British university student came out as a non-binary person to President Obama and a room of 500 people. Munir expressed the need for world leaders to “take us seriously as transgender people” and has since gone on to further speak out for transgender civil rights.

14. James Vacca

Bronx City Councilman James Vacca fiercely came out as gay via Twitter with the added fabulosity of a Golden Girls reference.

“After talking w/ my friends & family I’ve decided to come out publicly as a gay man. Now back to the Golden Girls!” he tweeted.

15. Sara Ramirez

Best known for playing the bisexual character Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy, actress Sara Ramirez also revealed that she is also a bisexual person herself in a powerful speech at the True Colors 40 to None summit.

“I am deeply invested in projects that allow our youth’s voices to be heard, and that support our youth in owning their own complex narratives so that we can show up for them in the ways they need us to,” she said.

16. Sade’s Son

The only child of singer Sade came out as a trans man on Instagram, proudly proclaiming “today is the first day of the rest of my life” along with the hashtags #shotday #firstshot #finally #ftm #selfmademan #transman #proud and #yaaassss.

While he has yet to publicly reveal the name he would prefer to use, we welcome him to LGBTQ.

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Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Say They’ll Continue Supporting Donald Trump

Failed GOP presidential candidates New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Senator Ted Cruz say they’ll continue supporting Donald Trump despite his brags about sexually assaulting women.

Christie appeared on WFAN’s Boomer and Carton radio program on Tuesday morning hosted by radio jock Craig Carton and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and spoke out about the vulgar Trump tapes but says he is still supporting him.

Said Christie, via Mediaite:

Christie react to Trump’s video: “It is completely indefensible. I won’t defend it.”

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“I do think he’s sorry,” Christie says, was there when Trump found out about video. But Christie says Trump’s apology could have been better

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“I’m still supporting Donald,” Christie says. “I’m really upset about what I heard, but in the end this election is about bigger issues.”

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“I don’t think it’s immaterial,” Christie says, but it’s not the only thing Trump should be judged on.

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“On the debate, I think he did much better than he did on the first one and I think she did worse,” Christie says.

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“Who knows,” Christie says about if there are any other damning videos of Trump out there.

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

“The rank and file people do support him,” Christie says. Can Trump still win? “Well, sure,” gov responds. (Pretty tepid.)

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

Christie says, again says he was “made really uncomfortable w/ that video,” but says it can’t be the only thing Trump is judged on.

— Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) October 11, 2016

Meanwhile, Ted Cruz told a local Texas TV station that he’s still with the Donald, Politico reports:

“I am supporting the Republican nominee because I think Hillary Clinton is an absolute disaster. Now my differences with Donald, I have articulated at great length during the campaign. And I tried all my might,” Cruz told Maggan Rennels of Channel 6. “It was an amazing journey.”

Rennels followed up by asking Cruz about whether he’d run for president again. Cruz didn’t rule it out: “We’ll see what the future holds.” He’s also up for reelection in 2018.

…”This is an election unlike any other, but I tell you Hillary Clinton I think is manifestly unfit to be president. The policies she’s advancing are the continuation of eight years of Barack Obama,” Cruz said after giving a brief review of Leal’s Mexican Restaurant and posing for pictures with employees. “We need to have a president, we need to have leaders in Washington that will fight to defend our jobs, to get government off our back and to defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights to keep us safe.”

Watch:

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Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Say They’ll Continue Supporting Donald Trump