‘Strictly Come Dancing’: Craig Revel Horwood Labels Shirley Ballas The ‘Villain’ Of The Show And Blasts Her Feedback For Being ‘Frighteningly Technical’

Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood might have a reputation for being the harshest judge on the BBC dance show, but even he’s admitted that new head judge Shirley Ballas has been stealing his thunder this year.

Craig has gone as far as to label Shirley the “villain” of this series, after she dished out some hard to swallow critiques to some of this year’s celebrity contestants.

Craig told The Sun: “Shirley is this year’s villain. She’s frighteningly technical with her criticism, and I know the audience might struggle with that.”

He added: “She was a Halloween baddie in a Cruella de Vil costume – she totally channelled her.”

Craig’s comments come after ‘Strictly’ fans kicked off at the head judge, following her decision to axe Aston Merrygold from the show last weekend.

On Sunday (5 November), the decision fell to Shirley to decide whether to eliminate the former JLS star or competitor Mollie King after the dance-off, when the rest of the judging panel failed to reach a decision.

Ultimately, she chose to give Aston his marching orders, but viewers were not happy, with many criticising Shirley for sending home a contestant who had been a favourite throughout the contest.

Shirley has been particularly technical in her feedback since joining the show this year.

Earlier in the series she told ‘Good Morning Britain’ presenter “we had nine sets of eight before we got started”, and told TV chef Simon Rimmer “you have to learn what closes, what crosses, what’s a flat foot, what’s a toe, and with your soft knees it will help you to glide around the floor.”

But a BBC source insists that show bosses are “delighted” with how well Shirley is doing on the show.

A Strictly source told The Sun: “Shirley is a stickler for technique and she’s proud of her dance knowledge. She’s trying to ignore social media for a while and not let other people’s opinions get to her but it does get hard, especially when the abuse is so personal.

“She was hoping Strictly would be a fun experience and wasn’t banking on a backlash.

“But bosses are delighted with how she’s getting on and like her detailed critique.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/craig-revel-horwood-shirley-ballas-strictly-come-dancing_uk_5a02a9a6e4b04e96f0c65412

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Win in Virginia and New Jersey in Backlash to Trumpism

Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam has defeated Trump-supported candidate Ed Gillespie to win the Virginia governor’s race, while Democrat Philip D. Murphy defeated Chris Christie’s Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to win in New Jersey.

Trump bashed Gillespie following his loss despite pushing him on Twitter earlier in the day.

.@EdWGillespie will totally turn around the high crime and poor economic performance of VA. MS-13 and crime will be gone. Vote today, ASAP!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2017

Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017

And Steve Bannon had declared Gillespie “Trumpism without Trump.”

Reminder that Steve Bannon said Trumpism without Trump was on the ballot in Virginia. pic.twitter.com/qxzzr9TWKI

— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) November 8, 2017

The NYT reports:

Mr. Northam was propelled to victory over Ed Gillespie, the Republican nominee, by liberal and moderate voters who were eager to send a message to President Trump in a state that rejected him in 2016 and where he is deeply unpopular.

The campaign between a pair of low-key, establishment politicians was brought to life by national wedge issues, from immigration to Confederate iconography, and Mr. Northam’s win offered a momentary catharsis for Democrats beyond Virginia’s borders, who have been hungry to find political success this year. But it was not the only welcome result of the night for the party. Philip Murphy won the New Jersey governorship, according to the Associated Press, restoring Democratic dominance to a major blue state and bringing an unceremonious end to Gov. Chris Christie’s tumultuous tenure.

In both Virginia and New Jersey, voters rebuffed a wave of provocative ads linking immigration and crime, suggesting the limitations of hard-edge tactics in the sort of affluent and suburban communities that are pivotal in next year’s midterm elections.

And Democrats should make significant gains in the Virginia legislature, the WaPo reports:

Democrats were leading in races in Prince William County, include two women who would be the first Latina members of the General Assembly. A pair of Republican incumbents in Loudoun County were also trailing their Democratic challengers.

“This is an unbelievable night,” said House Minority Leader David Toscano (D-Charlottesville) in an interview an hour after polls closed. “There were districts we didn’t think we had much of a shot in and we are running even right now, and there’s going to be some pretty strong upsets.”

Republicans had structural advantages heading into Election Day, including a cash advantage built up over years and the name recognition and community ties that come with incumbency.

In New York City, Mayor Bill De Blasio was reelected handily, the NY Daily News reports:

De Blasio was declared the winner shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, capping a race that featured fights over the incumbent’s record and ethics but in which he always remained the heavy favorite.

“It’s been four years. I think we made real tangible changes in people’s lives,” de Blasio said after he cast his vote in Park Slope, Brooklyn Tuesday morning. “I would be very humbled and honored to serve as your mayor again for the next four years.”

Malliotakis, a Republican Assemblywoman from Staten Island, took on de Blasio on a platform she dubbed trash, transit, and trash — attacking what she perceived as declining quality of life in the city and Hizzoner’s handling of a stubborn homelessness crisis.

The post Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Win in Virginia and New Jersey in Backlash to Trumpism appeared first on Towleroad.

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Win in Virginia and New Jersey in Backlash to Trumpism

HRC Congratulates Mayor-Elect Jenny Durkan on Victory

Today, HRC released the following statement after Jenny Durkan won Seattle’s mayoral race:

“HRC was proud to endorse Jenny Durkan to be Seattle’s next mayor because we know she will fight for equal rights and protections for everyone, including LGBTQ people,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “We look forward to working with Jenny on her pro-equality vision that will make Seattle an even stronger and more vibrant community.”

Durkan became the first out LGBTQ U.S. Attorney when she was appointed the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington in 2009, where she served until 2014. Proving her commitment to equality, Durkan created a civil rights unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on housing discrimination, job discrimination, and the rights of returning veterans.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-congratulates-mayor-elect-jenny-durkan-on-victory?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Trans Woman Andrea Jenkins Elected to Minneapolis City Council

She’s the first transgender person elected to a major city’s governing body and the first trans person of color elected to any office in the U.S.

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/11/07/trans-woman-andrea-jenkins-elected-minneapolis-city-council

Virginia Transgender Democrat Makes History, Ousting Bigot Delegate Who Wrote Transphobic ‘Bathroom Bill’

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who wrote Virginia’s  hideous anti-transgender “bathroom bill”, has lost his seat to Danica Roem, now the first openly transgender elected official in the state and the first elected to a state legislature in the U.S.

The Washington Post reports:

The race between Roem, 33, and Marshall, 73, focused on traffic and other local issues in Prince William County but also exposed the nation’s fault lines over gender identity. It pitted a local journalist who began her physical gender transition four years ago against an outspoken social conservative who has referred to himself as Virginia’s “chief homophobe”earlier this year introduced a “bathroom bill” that died in committee.

“For 26 years I’ve been proud to fight for you, and fight for our future,” Marshall said in a message posted on Facebook Tuesday night. “Though we all wish tonight would have turned out differently, I am deeply grateful for your support and effort over the years.

“I’m committed to continue the fight for you, but in a different role going forward.”

RELATED: Wingnut Bob Marshall Introduces ‘Unethical, Abusive And Dangerous’ Anti-Gay Legislation in Virginia

As Towleroad’s Michael Fitzgerald reported earlier this year:

In 2010, discussing his attempt to ban LGBT people from Virginia’s National Guard, Marshall said:

“If I needed a blood transfusion and the guy next to me had committed sodomy 14 times in the last month, I’d be worried.

“It’s a distraction when I’m on the battlefield and have to concentrate on the enemy 600 yards away and I’m worried about this guy who’s got eyes on me.”

In 2012 he said that “homosexuality is not a civil right” and has claimed that opponents of religious freedom laws are discriminating against heterosexuals.

Earlier this year, he introduced what has been described as one of the most dangerous bathroom bills in the country. Mother Jones reports that the proposed legislation went a step further than other states by requiring schools to out students to their parents within 24 hours if they asked “to be recognized or treated as the opposite sex.”

In May, Roem – who beat out Steve Jansen, Andrew Adams and Mansimran Kahlon to win her party’s backing – said:

“Let me make this really clear for you: When the people of the 13th District elect a transgender woman to replace the most anti-LGBT legislator in the South, it will be an act of certainty, and it will be a defining moment that will resonate across the country.”

However, she told the Washington Post that she is more concerned with the important issues. Marshall, she said, “is more concerned with where I go to the bathroom than where his constituents go to work…I’m running a race on improving transportation rather than ensuring discrimination.”

Welcoming Roem’s selection, Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, CEO of Victory Fund, said:.

“Danica Roem is a leader in a national movement of trans candidates who are determined to become a voice for their community in the halls of power. This historic primary win sets up a general election battle where voters will choose between ‘Bigot Bob’ Marshall – the most anti-LGBTQ member of the Virginia state legislature – or Danica, a proud trans woman who is committed to representing all people in her district. I am confident voters will choose leadership over divisiveness and make Danica the first out trans candidate to win and serve in a state legislature.”

Stephen Farnsworth, an expert on Virginia politics and a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said that although Roem is in with a shot, it will be incredibly hard to predict how exactly this contest will play out.

He noted that while Marshall “has managed to win despite having a target on his back election cycle after election cycle,” Roem’s best chance is to emphasize constituent service issues rather that national social agenda issues.

The post Virginia Transgender Democrat Makes History, Ousting Bigot Delegate Who Wrote Transphobic ‘Bathroom Bill’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Virginia Transgender Democrat Makes History, Ousting Bigot Delegate Who Wrote Transphobic ‘Bathroom Bill’

Virginia Voters Reject Trump’s Politics of Hate by Electing Northam, Fairfax, Herring and Roem

Today, HRC celebrated the outcome of Virginia’s statewide election where HRC-endorsed candidates Ralph Northam, Justin Fairfax, Mark Herring and Danica Roem have all claimed victory in their respective races. 

“By electing Ralph Northam for governor, Justin Fairfax for lieutenant governor, and Mark Herring for attorney general, Virginia voters have resoundingly rejected Donald Trump’s and Mike Pence’s politics of hate and fear,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “HRC was proud to endorse these pro-equality candidates who are committed to moving Virginia forward as a welcoming and inclusive place. We congratulate Northam, Fairfax, and Herring on their important victories and look forward to working closely with them to advance LGBTQ equality in the commonwealth.”

HRC released an earlier statement hailing Danica Roem’s historic victory in the Virginia District 13 election. Unseating anti-LGBTQ Delegate Bob Marshall, Roem’s electoral victory will make her Virginia’s first out transgender public official and the nation’s only out transgender state representative.

HRC worked aggressively in Virginia by mobilizing staff and volunteers to ensure these pro-equality candidates were victorious. HRC engaged fair-minded Virginia voters through targeted social media, emails, text alerts, direct mail, phone calls, door-to-door canvassing, and other crucial efforts.

HRC’s work in the commonwealth is part of a bold, proactive grassroots expansion called HRC Rising — a campaign announced in July to accelerate progress in states from coast-to-coast, resist the politics of hate, fight anti-LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality candidates and initiatives. The expansion is the biggest strategic investment in the organization’s 37-year history.

The HRC Foundation designated Virginia as a “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality” in the organization’s 2016 State Equality Index. The commonwealth is one of thirty-one states that still lacks basic non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

www.hrc.org/blog/virginia-voters-reject-trumps-politics-of-hate-by-electing-northam-fairfax?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Citing ‘Sexual Misconduct,’ USC Students Want Bryan Singer’s Name Off Cinema Program

Though Singer isn’t facing current charges of misconduct — and former accusations never amounted to formal charges — USC students are moving forward with their petition.

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2017/11/07/citing-sexual-misconduct-usc-students-want-bryan-singers-name-cinema-program

Homelessness Is Worst In Some Of London’s Richest Boroughs, New Research Reveal
Some of London’s richest borough have some of the highest homelessness rates in the country, new research has revealed.

In the most extensive review of its kind, homelessness charity Shelter revealed the worst boroughs around the UK for rough sleeping and people being housed in temporary accommodation.

Most of the worst performing boroughs were in London, with some of the richest coming out as the worst.

Westminster, which has an average income of £104,000, has a total of 8,054 people homeless, equivalent to one in 31 people. It’s national ranking was 3rd worst.

Kensington and Chelsea, where the average income is £158,000, had a total of 4,401 people registered homeless, equivalent to one in 36. This left it as the fifth worst borough in the country.

The borough of Newham came out worst of all, with a total of 13,607 people registered homeless, equivalent to one in 25 people.

Deserae Plante has lived in temporary accommodation since 2009 but was moved out of her accommodation in Westminster, first to Haringey and now to Romford in Essex.

The single mother told HuffPost UK she was “gutted” at how her case was handled, adding: “It’s one of the richest boroughs in the country but it still has so many housing issues.”

Plante, who has four young daughters, spoke of the effect that her experience had on her mental health.

She said: “I don’t want to go out any more, I hardly want to associate with people. I just want to keep myself to myself because I just feel down.

“I feel like I’m in a prison…I get really, really depressed because of this whole housing issue.”

She added: “We are people too, we might not have the money but we’re people too and we need to be treated equally. You shouldn’t treat someone better because they have more money than someone else. We’re all human.”

Outside London, areas such as Luton, where 1 in 52 people are homeless, Birmingham (1 in 88) and Manchester (1 in 154) also featured in the top 50.

Shelter’s research found that in total, there are 307,000 people living in temporary accommodation and sleeping rough, equivalent to one in 200 people. This is 13,000 more people than last year.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “It’s shocking to think that today, more than 300,000 people in Britain are waking up homeless. Some will have spent the night shivering on a cold pavement, others crammed into a dingy, hostel room with their children. And what is worse, many are simply unaccounted for.

“On a daily basis, we speak to hundreds of people and families who are desperately trying to escape the devastating trap of homelessness. A trap that is tightening thanks to decades of failure to build enough affordable homes and the impact of welfare cuts.

“As this crisis continues to unfold, the work of our frontline services remains absolutely critical. We will do all we can to make sure no-one is left to fight homelessness on their own. But we cannot achieve this alone; we urgently need the public’s support to be there for everyone who needs us right now.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/homelessness-london_uk_5a01b3b1e4b066c2c03a1891

Danica Roem Makes History as Virginia’s First Out Transgender Public Official

Today, HRC and Equality Virginia, the statewide organization working for LGBTQ equality, hailed Danica Roem’s historic victory in the Virginia District 13 election. Unseating anti-LGBTQ Delegate Bob Marshall, Roem’s electoral victory will make her Virginia’s first out transgender public official and the nation’s only out transgender state representative.

“Danica Roem’s historic victory is a clear warning to anti-equality lawmakers across the country that the days of attacking LGBTQ people to scare up votes are over,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “HRC was proud to mobilize voters to support Danica Roem’s trailblazing candidacy, and we look forward to working with her to help continue moving equality forward in Virginia.”

“Danica’s victory tonight is not only a victory for transgender Virginians, but for transgender Americans as well,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parish. “Our great Commonwealth has had many significant electoral firsts, and it’s no surprise the diverse and welcoming citizens of Prince William County have chosen to elect the first transgender candidate to any state’s legislative body. Roem ran a smart, issues-driven campaign focused on improving the lives of her neighbors; a campaign that ran counter to her opponent’s divisive and transphobic rhetoric. I, along with Equality Virginia’s staff and board, send our heartfelt congratulations to Danica, and we look forward to working with her at the General Assembly to pass protections for gay and transgender Virginians.”

Working hand-in-hand with Equality Virginia, HRC worked aggressively in the commonwealth to get out the vote for Danica Roem. HRC helped mobilize fair-minded Virginia voters through targeted social media, emails, text alerts, direct mail, phone calls, door-to-door canvassing, and other crucial efforts.

HRC’s work in the commonwealth is part of a bold, proactive grassroots expansion called HRC Rising — a campaign announced in July to accelerate progress in states from coast-to-coast, resist the politics of hate, fight anti-LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality candidates and initiatives. The expansion is the biggest strategic investment in the organization’s 37-year history.

www.hrc.org/blog/danica-roem-makes-history-as-virginias-first-out-transgender-public-officia?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed