Watch Ellen's Emotional Presidential Medal of Freedom Acceptance
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Daily Archives: November 22, 2016
WATCH: Pres. Obama Delivers Stunningly Beautiful Remarks, Medal Of Freedom, To Ellen
WATCH: Pres. Obama Delivers Stunningly Beautiful Remarks, Medal Of Freedom, To Ellen
In a time of great uncertainty, for the LGBTQ community, and in a sense, the entire world, President Obama just did something absolutely beautiful.
Today, he gave his final Presidential Medals of Freedom to 21 recipients including Diana Ross, Tom Hanks, Melinda Gates, Robert De Niro and Ellen DeGeneres.
Take a look at his remarks before giving the medal — the highest civilian honor in America — to Ellen:
“It’s easy to forget now,” the president says, “when we’ve come so far, where now marriage is equal under the law, just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago.
“Just how important it was, not just to the LGBT community, but for all of us to see somebody so full of kindness and light, somebody we liked so much, somebody who could be our neighbor, or our colleague, or our sister, challenge our own assumptions.
“Remind us that we have more in common that we realize. Push our country in the direction of justice. What an incredible burden that was to bear, to risk your career like that.
“People don’t do that very often. And then to have the hopes of millions on your shoulders.”
Gay Couple’s Holiday Tradition is the Centerpiece of a Beautiful Hershey’s Kisses Ad: WATCH
Gay Couple’s Holiday Tradition is the Centerpiece of a Beautiful Hershey’s Kisses Ad: WATCH
A new ad for Hershey’s Kisses chocolates features a gay couple, The Nobles, and the holiday tradition they share with their mom, who they’re spending the holiday with for the first time at their home in New York City.
“She and my father spent all of their lives making my brother Jason and me feel loved and accepted and supported. Now it’s our chance to do that for her.”
Watch:
The post Gay Couple’s Holiday Tradition is the Centerpiece of a Beautiful Hershey’s Kisses Ad: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Gay Couple’s Holiday Tradition is the Centerpiece of a Beautiful Hershey’s Kisses Ad: WATCH
‘Captain America’s’ Chris Evans Says Having A Gay Brother Helped Shape Him
‘Captain America’s’ Chris Evans Says Having A Gay Brother Helped Shape Him
I’ve never felt any sort of backlash or friction as a result of the stance I’ve taken in my career in support of [my brother] or any other human rights… hopefully it stays that way going forward.
It’s important to understand, whether it’s growing up with women, whether it’s growing up with other ethnic groups, it’s important to experience anything different from what you know to encourage and cultivate compassion and understanding.
Growing up with women helped me, but growing up in the theatre helped me, growing up in a progressive community helped me. I think it’s really important to put faces to the situations that we’re navigating as society.— Chris Evans to The Fix when asked what inspires his activism.
Gay Drama ‘Moonlight’ Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations: FULL LIST
Gay Drama ‘Moonlight’ Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations: FULL LIST
Moonlight, the Barry Jenkins drama about three parts of a young gay black man’s life, received six Independent Spirit Award nominations today, co-leading the pack with American Honey.
The awards take place on February 25.
RELATED: ‘Moonlight’ Star on the Importance of Telling Black Gay Stories: ‘It’s Something That the World Needs’
The last three movies to win the Spirits’ best film trophy — “Spotlight,” “Birdman” and “12 Years a Slave” — have gone on to win the Oscar.
That kind of outsized expectation might be a little much for an uncompromising film about a character, played by three different actors, learning to accept his sexual identity. But then, “Moonlight,” an indie hit and critics favorite, has done nothing but exceed expectations since premiering in September at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals.
“If you had sat me down six hours before that Telluride premiere and said, ‘Eleven weeks from now, this is going to happen,’ I would have said, ‘No, you’re wrong,’” Jenkins told The Times. “I never imagined this many people would care about this film.”
ALSO: Indie Drama ‘Moonlight’ Looks at What It’s Like to Grow Up Black and Gay in America – TRAILER
Here’s the full list of nominees:
Best Feature
American Honey
Chronic
Jackie
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Best Director
Andrea Arnold, American Honey
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Pablo Larrain, Jackie
Kelly Reichardt, Certain Women
Jeff Nichols, Loving
Best Screenplay
Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea
20th Century Women
Little Men
Hell or High Water
Best First Feature
The Childhood of a Leader
The Fits
Other People
Swiss Army Man
The Witch
Best First Screenplay
The Witch
Other People
Barry
Jean of the Joneses
Christine
Best Male Lead
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
David Harewood, Free in Deed
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Jesse Plemons, Other People
Tim Roth, Chronic
Best Female Lead
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Sasha Lane, American Honey
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Best Supporting Male
Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Shia LaBeouf, American Honey
Craig Robinson, Morris From America
Best Supporting Female
Edwina Findley, Free in Deed
Paulina Garcia, Little Men
Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
Riley Keough, American Honey
Molly Shannon, Other People
Best Documentary
13th
Cameraperson
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made in America
Sonita
Under the Sun
Chevalier
My Golden Days
Toni Erdmann
Under the ShadowBest Cinematography
Free in Deed
Childhood
Eyes of My Mother
Moonlight
American Honey
Best Editing
Swiss Army Man
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Jackie
John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $500,000)
Free in Deed
Hunter Gatherer
Lovesong
Nakom
Spa Night
Robert Altman Award (Best Ensemble)
Moonlight
Jordana Mollick
Melody C. Roscher
Craig ShilowichSomeone to Watch Award
Andrew Ahn, Spa Night
Claire Carre, Embers
Anna Rose Holmer, The Fits
Ingrid Jungermann, Women Who Kill
Truer Than Fiction Award
Kristi Jacobson, Solitary
Sara Jordenö, Kiki
Nanfu Wang, Hooligan Sparrow
The post Gay Drama ‘Moonlight’ Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations: FULL LIST appeared first on Towleroad.
Gay Drama ‘Moonlight’ Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations: FULL LIST
'Moonlight' leads Independent Spirit Award nominations; 'Other People,' 'Spa Night' also pick up nods
'Moonlight' leads Independent Spirit Award nominations; 'Other People,' 'Spa Night' also pick up nods
Photo Credit: Moonlight film/A24
The nominees were announced today for the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards and the list includes honors for several LGBTQ creators and inclusive films. The Film Independent Spirit Awards honor the best of films made with a budget of under $20 million.
Moonlight, which has set box office records since its October 21 release, co-leads the pack with six nominations total. The film, inspired by the short play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney, chronicles the life of a young black man named Chiron living in a rough neighborhood of Miami told in three acts; from childhood and teenage years. Over this time, Chiron struggles with his own sexual identity, the concept of masculinity, and his feelings towards his friend Kevin, all set against the backdrop of a challenging home life. Moonlight picked up nominations in Best Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and the cast will be honored with the Robert Altman Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.
Other People, written and directed by out SNL writer Chris Kelly, received four total nominations. The movie follows a struggling comedy writer, David, who moves back home to Sacramento from New York City to care for his sick mother. David’s situation is further complicated by his conservative family who have refused to accept him. The film premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Other People is nominated in Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Supporting Female, and a Best Male Lead nomination for Jesse Plemons who played David.
Spa Night, which also premiered at Sundance this year, has picked up two nominations. The film itself is nominated for the John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for under $500,000), and out writer/director Andrew Ahn is nominated in the Someone to Watch Award category which includes a $25,000 grant for the filmmaker to continue their work. Spa Night follows a young Korean-American teen who struggles to reconcile his obligations to his struggling family with his own desires after getting a job at a Korean spa in Los Angeles and stumbling into the world of hook up culture.
The documentary I Am Not Your Negro, about gay novelist, playwright, and author James Baldwin, is nominated in Best Documentary Feature. Out writer Ira Sachs is also nominated in Best Screenplay for Little Men. Winners will be announced at the 32nd annual Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 25.
November 22, 2016
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Seth Meyers: Trump Somehow Made 'Hamilton' Even More Popular
Seth Meyers: Trump Somehow Made 'Hamilton' Even More Popular
Donald Trump’s tweet storm over Mike Pence’s treatment at a performance has raised the show’s profile even more — and provided a distraction from certain issues.
www.advocate.com/comedy/2016/11/22/seth-meyers-trump-somehow-made-hamilton-even-more-popular
His Family Thinks He And His BFF Are Gay, So They Made This Video
His Family Thinks He And His BFF Are Gay, So They Made This Video
There’s a lot of doom and gloom going around as we kick of the holiday season, so here’s a little something to spice up the punch bowl.
A Redditor named Travis Henning has posted a video he made with his best friend while vacationing in Thailand, and it’s just brimming with adorable male bonding.
Gay, straight, whatever — everyone needs a friendship like this one.
It’s cheekily called “Just Friends,” and came with this message:
My family is thinks my best friend and I might be gay. Sent them this video of us in Thailand to ease their concern.
Watch below:
Keep up the good work, guys.
President Obama Gets Choked Up Talking About Ellen’s Courageous Coming Out – WATCH
President Obama Gets Choked Up Talking About Ellen’s Courageous Coming Out – WATCH
During the ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award on Tuesday at the White House, President Obama became emotional while praising the courage it took Ellen DeGeneres to come out as gay nearly 20 years ago.
President Obama said that today we forget “just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago” and that we similarly forget “just how important it was”, not just for her but also the nation as a whole to understand that someone “so filled with light”, someone like their next door neighbor could be LGBT.
Obama also noted that DeGeneres’ road to success today was far from smooth. “And she did pay a price,” he said.
“We don’t remember this, I hadn’t remembered it. She did, for a pretty long stretch of time–even in Hollywood,” the president added, referring to DeGeneres’ career after her sitcom Ellen was cancelled.
“And yet today, every day in every way Ellen counters what too often divides us with the countless things that bind us together and inspires us to be better, one joke, one dance at a time.”
Obama speaks about Ellen DeGeneres at Medals of Freedom ceremony: “Ellen counters what too often divides us.” t.co/IrDGoTiWkt
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 22, 2016
To cut through the palpable emotion that filled the room the president then repeated one of Ellen’s jokes about wanting a tortilla chip that’s strong enough to hold guacamole. He quipped that he didn’t understand what that meant but felt himself getting choked up so needed something to lighten the mood.
Ellen was named as one of this year’s 21 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients on November 16.
The award dates back to 1963 and is the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive.
The post President Obama Gets Choked Up Talking About Ellen’s Courageous Coming Out – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
President Obama Gets Choked Up Talking About Ellen’s Courageous Coming Out – WATCH
Women Try Manspreading and Discover It's Harder Than They Thought
Women Try Manspreading and Discover It's Harder Than They Thought
Watch these women try to take up as much space as possible.
www.advocate.com/women/2016/11/22/women-try-manspreading-and-discover-its-harder-they-thought
