Watch Lyft’s Touching Short Film About Black Cat Protest’s Legacy
The protest’s importance to LGBT people is recalled by the man who organized it, Alexei Romanoff.
www.advocate.com/business/2017/6/29/watch-lyfts-touching-short-film-about-black-cat-protests-legacy
Call your cluster — ‘Sense8’ is coming back from the dead
They’re back!
Lady Gaga, NRA, Kristen Wiig, Carp, Rob Lowe, Sasquatch, Cristiano Ronaldo, Germany: HOT LINKS
NO MEDIA. Trump rips Pelosi, Van Jones behind closed doors: “Before a rapt audience of 300 supporters, major GOP donors and party leaders attending the first fundraiser of his 2020 reelection campaign at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the commander in chief returned to his comfort zone.”
PUNCH BACK. Melania Trump stands by her pussy-grabbing man.
SERBIA. First gay prime minister sworn in.
WOOD APE. Rob Lowe says he has seen a sasquatch.
DOJ PRIDE. Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson ejected: “Under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Boente said a top priority would be “combatting the rise of violent crime” and the Justice Department was already taking steps to pursue that goal. At about that point in Boente’s remarks, a Justice Department official approached and said the Blade had to be escorted out because the DOJ Pride event was closed to the press. The Blade complied.”
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. A call to civil war?
This NRA ad is an open call to violence to protect white supremacy. If I made a video like this, I’d be in jail. pic.twitter.com/LD65yMUMVn
— deray mckesson (@deray) June 29, 2017
GERMANY. Why the marriage equality vote could still fail: “The interior and justice ministries have always been of the opinion that same-sex marriage can’t happen without a change to the constitution,” Günter Krings (CDU) told the Rheinische Post on Wednesday. “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the proposed change to the law will contravene the constitutional definition of marriage.”
GERMAN VOTE. You can watch the German marriage equality vote HERE at 2:45 am ET on Friday.
BERMUDA. Anti-gay group files challenge to marriage equality ruling.
RUPAULS DRAG RACE. 34 drag performers around the world sound off on the show’s influence.
TWINS. Cristiano Ronaldo has added to his family.
WORST PRODUCT SPOKESPERSON EVER? Teresa Giudice.
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER OF THE DAY. Lady Gaga.
ESCAPE OF THE DAY. The carp that got away.
SKETCH OF THE DAY. Mad Lib theater with Kristen Wiig.
THIRST THURDAY. GundamFatpig.
The post Lady Gaga, NRA, Kristen Wiig, Carp, Rob Lowe, Sasquatch, Cristiano Ronaldo, Germany: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Lady Gaga, NRA, Kristen Wiig, Carp, Rob Lowe, Sasquatch, Cristiano Ronaldo, Germany: HOT LINKS
Ana Navarro Tells GOP How to Respond to Trump’s ‘Face-Lift’ Tweet
After the president hits a new low, the CNN contributor unloads some serious straight talk.
www.advocate.com/women/2017/6/29/ana-navarro-tells-gop-how-respond-trumps-face-lift-tweet
Off-Broadway’s ‘Afterglow’ Asks If Sex Is Ever Without Strings: REVIEW
From moans that arise in the dark, to the tangle of naked men revealed when the curtain disappears, it’s immediately clear that Afterglow aims to be frank and explicit about sex. But the insightful new play, which opened June 23 in the intimate Loft at the Davenport Theatre, applies the same unflinching approach to exploring love and intimacy, knowing that not every post-coital mess can be wiped away with 409.
First, let’s untangle the men. Josh (Brandon Haagenson) and Alex (Robbie Simpson) have an open marriage, and are about to have a kid via surrogacy. The former is a theatre director, passionate about his work (natch), and the latter is enduring a pummeling chemistry program. Darius (Patrick Reilly) is the guest star here. Younger and a massage therapist, he’s never been in a relationship and doesn’t usually go for partnered men.
From left to right: Patrick Reilly, Brandon Haagenson, and Robbie Simpson in ‘Afterglow’
Written and directed by S. Asher Gelman, Afterglow takes the shape of a love triangle, the same sort men and women have been depicted in for ages. But in the context of modern gay romance, for which nonmonogamy has become a model of evolved partnership, Gelman asks what happens when the accepted rules of an open relationship are no match for the uncontrollable rush of genuine feeling.
Josh, whom both partners agree requires more attention, pursues Darius as a friend with benefits. The connection that grows between them tests the boundaries of Josh and Alex’s arrangement, exploring the difficulty of setting black-and-white parameters to any relationship. When does friendship plus sex add up to something more? It may be thrilling to explore that grey area when you have someone to go home to, but what if you don’t?
While the characters approach these questions from very different angles, it’s easy to identify with each one. All three actors embody recognizable perspectives, from Alex, who wavers between complete trust and aching jealousy, to Darius, who knows he deserves a partner devoted solely to him but falls for Josh, anyway.
Through candid emotional dialogue, Gelman demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the stakes in gay dating and relationships (at least among the urban and affluent). From feeling paralyzed by choice in the face of mobile-app man buffets, to investing different levels of meaning into multiple sexual relationships, Gelman’s characters grapple articulately with issues many gay men regularly face.
This sense of mirroring is echoed in Gelman’s production for Midnight Theatricals, which finds audiences on either side of the stage facing each other (on the evening I attended, the crowd was almost exclusively gay men). Jamie Roderick’s atmospheric lighting draws the space together, and illuminates the play’s erotic moments with a beautiful clarity. In transitions that often feel like cinematic bridges in the story, the actors reconfigure Ann Beyersdorfer’s versatile scenic design, setting the stage for their own romantic quagmire.
Depending on your point of view, the follies inherent to loving (and yes, fucking) outside of conventions may seem like a strange new world, or very much like part of your everyday life. Whatever brought all of those men into the theatre to face one another (and I’m guessing it was the skin), it’s vivid and honest depictions like these that foster a greater understanding of the way we live now.
Follow Naveen Kumar on Twitter: @Mr_NaveenKumar
(photos: Mati Gelman)
The post Off-Broadway’s ‘Afterglow’ Asks If Sex Is Ever Without Strings: REVIEW appeared first on Towleroad.
Off-Broadway’s ‘Afterglow’ Asks If Sex Is Ever Without Strings: REVIEW
#ThursdayThoughts: Why did the White House contact a fringe alt-right LGBTQ group during Pride Month?
Co-Founder of Deplorable Pride: “I was told: ‘The president is going to want to see this.’”
NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today voiced concern over the report by the North Carolina-based newspaper The News & Observer that the White House Office of Political Affairs proactively contacted conservative LGBTQ organization Deplorable Pride, which was previously banned from participating in Charlotte’s LGBTQ Pride Parade. The group is led by Brian Talbert, who has used or promoted inflammatory language against Muslims, women, and even the LGBTQ community itself.
The White House has chosen to stay silent and refuse to recognize LGBTQ Pride Month. By instead contacting Deplorable Pride, the Office of Political Affairs has further shown how completely tone deaf this administration is to the inclusive umbrella of the LGBTQ community.
The News & Observer report caps off what has been (so far) complete silence by the White House in recognizing June as National LGBTQ Pride Month. The White House has, however, issued proclamations on “Great Outdoors Month,” “National Ocean Month,” and “National Homeownership Month.” Further, President Trump’s silence highlights his administration’s agenda of systematically erasing LGBTQ Americans from the fabric of this nation. Whether it’s filling his administration with long-time anti-LGBTQ activists or erasing LGBTQ Americans from government websites, federal surveys, and even the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census, the Trump Administration has proven itself to be anything but an ally to the LGBTQ community.
GLAAD urges media to question The White House on the about why they chose to contact Deplorable Pride and have remained completely silent on LGBTQ Pride Month.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Brian Talbert, Co-Founder of Deplorable Pride
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