Must-See LGBTQ TV: Catch documentary ‘Quiet Heroes,’ the 2018 VMAs, and VICE’s ‘Trans in Texas’

Must-See LGBTQ TV: Catch documentary ‘Quiet Heroes,’ the 2018 VMAs, and VICE’s ‘Trans in Texas’

Photo Credit: Hayley Kiyoko

Grab the remote, set your DVR or queue up your streaming service of choice! GLAAD is bringing you the highlights LGBTQ on TV this week. Check back every Sunday for up-to-date coverage in LGBTQ-inclusive programming on TV.

On Monday, the annual MTV Video Music Awards will give out awards honoring favorite music videos of the past year. Nominees this year include three nominations for pansexual singer Janelle Monae, two for lesbian pop star Haley Kiyoko, as well as two for Demi Lovato, and a nomination for Panic! At the Disco, lead by pan front man Brendan Urie. Out actor Amandla Stenberg will also be a presenter at the award show. Click here for a full list of nominations. 2018 MTV Video Music Awards: Monday, 9pm on MTV.

Festival favorite documentary Quiet Heroes airs this Thursday on Logo. The doc follows Dr. Kristen Reis, the first doctor in the state of Utah to treat patients diagnosed with HIV and AIDs. Reis and her partner Maggie Snyder worked against the stigma of conservative Utah at the time, and provided both medical care and a safe space to their patients, many of whom were ostracized by their own families. The film seeks to shed light on Reis, Snyder, their practice, and how many lives they touched. Quiet Heroes: Thursday, 8pm on Logo.

On Friday, HBO’s VICE will air an episode that follows the ongoing fight for transgender rights in Texas. Last season, VICE investigated the complicated lives of trans kids and their families as they navigate decisions over medical transitions and how best to support their children’s identity. A year later, life for transgender Americans has become more uncertain as politicians dismantle key federal and state protections and introduce a slew of anti-LGBT bills. VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni returns to Texas to see how the transgender community there is fighting to win acceptance and protection. VICE: Trans in Texas: 7:30pm, Friday on HBO.

VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni visits Kai, a 7-year-old transgender girl at her school. Credit: Vice on HBO

 

Sunday, August 19: Fear the Walking Dead (8pm, AMC)

Monday: 2018 MTV Video Music Awards (9pm, MTV)

Tuesday: Animal Kingdom (9pm, TNT); Making It (10pm, NBC); Hit the Floor (10pm, BET); Younger (10pm, TVLand)

Wednesday: Harlots (Hulu); Burden of Truth (8pm, The CW); The Sinner (10pm, USA)

Thursday: Quiet Heroes (8pm, Logo); American Woman (10pm, Paramount)

Friday: VICE: Trans in Texas (7:30pm, HBO); Wynonna Earp (9pm, Syfy); Killjoys (10pm, Syfy)

August 19, 2018

www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-catch-documentary-quiet-heroes-2018-vmas-and-vices-trans-texas

Star of NBC’s ‘Champions’ Sitcom Comes Out as Transgender: ‘My Name Is Josie Totah — And I’m Ready to Be Free’

Star of NBC’s ‘Champions’ Sitcom Comes Out as Transgender: ‘My Name Is Josie Totah — And I’m Ready to Be Free’
Josie Totah

Josie Totah

The actress formerly known as JJ Totah, 17, who starred on NBC’s Mindy Kaling sitcom Champions (which was canceled in June) came out as transgender in an essay in TIME magazine and says she’ll now be known as Josie Totah.

Wrote Totah in the essay, called My Name Is Josie Totah — And I’m Ready to Be Free: “When I was really young, growing up in a small town in Northern California, people would just assume I was gay. On the playground, I was the type of kid who wanted to sing with the girls, not play soccer with the boys. Then I found myself playing that role once I got into the entertainment industry, and people kept assuming my identity. Numerous reporters have asked me in interviews how it feels to be a young gay man. I was even introduced that way before receiving an award from an LGBTQ+ rights organization. I understand that they didn’t really know better. I almost felt like I owed it to everybody to be that gay boy. But that has never been the way I think of myself.”

Totah added, “My pronouns are she, her and hers. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah.”

Totah said she has known for as long as she can remember, on some level, that she is female, but that it crystallized at 14 when she saw the Jazz Jennings documentary I Am Jazz and realized she was the same.

Totah concludes that she is headed to college and excited: “I can only imagine how much more fun it’s going to be to play someone who shares my identity, rather than having to contort myself to play a boy. I’m going to gun for those roles, be it a transgender female or a cisgender female. Because it’s a clean slate — and a new world.”

A promo clip for Champions:

The post Star of NBC’s ‘Champions’ Sitcom Comes Out as Transgender: ‘My Name Is Josie Totah — And I’m Ready to Be Free’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Star of NBC’s ‘Champions’ Sitcom Comes Out as Transgender: ‘My Name Is Josie Totah — And I’m Ready to Be Free’

‘Teddys, raisins & son-in-laws’: Chappy users share their favorite pick-up lines from the app

‘Teddys, raisins & son-in-laws’: Chappy users share their favorite pick-up lines from the app
We asked Chappy users to show us screenshots of their favorite pick-up lines from the app.

www.queerty.com/teddys-raisins-son-laws-chappy-users-share-favorite-pick-lines-app-20180820?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Actor Garrett Clayton Comes Out as Gay

Actor Garrett Clayton Comes Out as Gay
Garrett clayton gay

King Cobra

Actor Garrett Clayton, best known for Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Movie, NBC’s Hairspray Live, and the feature film King Cobra, in which he played Brent Corrigan (above, second from left), has come out as gay. Clayton said he was prompted to come out by the subject matter of his upcoming film Reach, in which he plays a teen considering suicide.

Wrote Clayton in an Instagram post: “With the release of my new movie REACH coming up, I thought it was important to explain why I took on this project in the first place. REACH deals with some very serious and timely topics that have affected me personally, and have likely influenced many of your lives as well. (I also prefer to share things that are particularly important for me here on my IG) instead of in some random magazine or online article – because you are the ones that have been rooting for me and following me on my professional and personal journey in life.”

He added: “When I read the script for REACH, I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of. I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and – on top of it all – myself and the man I’ve been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events. These topics – not always easy to discuss- are all close to my heart, and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all. This film has come from the perspectives of people who care deeply about these issues, and if watching it helps even one person… then it was all worth it. ♥

Instagram Photo

The post Actor Garrett Clayton Comes Out as Gay appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Actor Garrett Clayton Comes Out as Gay

Melania says grown-ups need to be less “destructive” on social media and Twitter is like “Girl, bye!”

Melania says grown-ups need to be less “destructive” on social media and Twitter is like “Girl, bye!”
Without the slightest trace of irony, first lady Melania Trump warned against the “destructive and harmful” uses of social media in a speech earlier today.

www.queerty.com/melania-says-grown-ups-need-less-destructive-social-media-twitter-like-girl-bye-20180820?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Wigstock, John Glines, Gay Priest Purge, Brooke Candy, Ryan Murphy, Omarosa, Gay British Royals, Netflix, Pope Francis: HOT LINKS

Wigstock, John Glines, Gay Priest Purge, Brooke Candy, Ryan Murphy, Omarosa, Gay British Royals, Netflix, Pope Francis: HOT LINKS
Giuseppe Orto

RACE WAR. Trump wants to start one, says Omarosa. “Every single time he had some type of issue with the community, I was there. The one thing I realized once I was there was he was disingenuous to his commitment to diversity.”

WIGSTOCK. It’s back, and Lady Bunny and Neil Patrick Harris are involved.

RIP. John Glines, who helped bring Torch Song Trilogy to Broadway: ‘Mr. Glines had long been committed to producing and writing plays with gay characters and gay themes that would appeal to a broad audience. To have taken such a play to the pinnacle of American theater, and to have forthrightly thanked his partner on national television at a time when the emerging AIDS crisis was making gay men a target of new fear and hostility, was indeed, as he put it in the acceptance speech, “a stupendous and miraculous moment.”’

KING AND HIS HUSBAND. The gay history of British royals.

CHINA. Mr. Gay World cancels 2019 Hong Kong event, citing danger to LGBTQ people on mainland. ‘The organisers said in a statement on Friday that the local hosting company, which is located in mainland China, said that it could not proceed with organising the contest. The event, set to be held from April 28 to May 4 2019, will instead move to Cape Town, South Africa.’

NETFLIX. Streaming platform may start showing ads between episodes.

CATHOLIC SEX ABUSE EPIDEMIC. Some conservatives calling for purge of all gay priests: “Some conservatives are calling for a purge of all gay priests, a challenging task given that they are believed to be numerous and few are open about their sexual orientation. Moderates want the church to eliminate the need for secrecy by proclaiming that gay men are welcome if they can be effective priests who commit to celibacy.”

POPE SPEAKS. Words, no action: “Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such [abuses] from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated.”

JOHN BOLTON. War hawk national security adviser says China, Iran and North Korea, in addition to Russia involved in meddling in U.S. elections: “Those are the four countries that we’re most concerned about.”

NEW: National security adviser John Bolton says in addition to Russia, there’s “sufficient national security concern” that China, Iran, and North Korea are meddling in the 2018 U.S. elections.

“Those are the four countries that we’re most concerned about” t.co/5DMKk99wXZ pic.twitter.com/oUldR6JX57

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 19, 2018

PAKISTAN. Transgender woman killed, dismembered in Peshawar: “The transgender person, Nazo, was shot dead at her flat and later the body was hacked to pieces, the police told The Express Tribune, adding that they have also recovered the axe and the gun used in the crime.”

AARON SALAZAR. Investigation continues in death of gay Amtrak passenger found near tracks. “On May 15, Salazar was taking a train from Denver back to Portland, where he attended Portland State University, when he was found unconscious near the railroad tracks at the far-east end of Truckee. He was checked into Renown Hospital in Reno after sustaining injuries to his upper body, including a broken pelvis, damaged brain stem and strange burns on the inside of his thighs, according to Trujillo. Family members speculated Salazar’s injuries could be the result of a hate crime, as he is gay.”

KUALA LUMPUR. Gay club raided for first time in 30 years:  ‘The raid was a joint operation between the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (JAWI)  and also the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK). The chief secretary of the federal ministry, Datuk Seri Adnan Md Ikshan, stated that during the raid, which happened around 1.30am, there were 60 individuals present at the club including two women who work there, Berita Harian reported.’

REUNION OF THE DAY. Ryan Murphy shares AHS: Coven reunion with Stevie Nicks. “The Coven Returns. What a thrilling night with the legend Stevie Nicks on the set of AHS.” Deadline: ‘The eighth season of AHS seems like it’s going to be an Infinity War-esque crossover event for the popular FX anthology with a mashup of the first season, Murder House and the aforementioned third season titled Coven. Also returning for the new season are many familiar faces from the Murphy acting troupe including Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Cheyenne Jackson, Billy Eichner, Leslie Grossman, and Billie Lourd. The iconic and glamorous Dynasty queen Joan Collins will also join the cast as the grandmother of Peters’ character.’

The Coven Returns. What a thrilling night with the legend Stevie Nicks on the set of AHS. pic.twitter.com/wsI1FlfN1W

— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) August 19, 2018

TEENS REACT TO. ‘NSYNC.

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. “My Sex” Brooke Candy featuring Pussy Riot, Mykki Blanco, MNDR.

MONDAY MUSCLE. Giuseppe Orto.

Instagram Photo

The post Wigstock, John Glines, Gay Priest Purge, Brooke Candy, Ryan Murphy, Omarosa, Gay British Royals, Netflix, Pope Francis: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Wigstock, John Glines, Gay Priest Purge, Brooke Candy, Ryan Murphy, Omarosa, Gay British Royals, Netflix, Pope Francis: HOT LINKS

Actor Josie Totah Comes Out as Transgender

Actor Josie Totah Comes Out as Transgender

Today, actor and 2018 HRC Visibility Award recipient Josie Totah came out as transgender in a powerful op-ed for Time.

“My pronouns are she, her and hers,” Totah wrote. “I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah.”

t.co/Ltz8ttemoB For so long I’ve been trying to hide who I was. And I did it in fear. In fear that I wouldn’t be accepted or loved. I know now more than ever I’m ready to take the step to becoming myself. I am Transgender and this is my story.

— josie totah (@jjtotah) August 20, 2018

Totah explained that watching transgender teen and former HRC Foundation Youth Ambassador Jazz Jennings live her journey to her authentic self on television was a powerful model for her. At the time, both Totah and Jennings were 14.

“I looked over at (my mother) in the middle of the show and said, ‘This is me. I’m transgender. And I need to go through this,’” Totah continued. “My mother, who is immensely supportive and gracious, said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’”

Totah began her acting career at a young age, with breakout television roles from the Disney channel to a guest spot on “Glee.” Earlier this year, HRC was proud to honor the young trailblazer with the HRC Visibility Award at the 2018 HRC Salt Lake Gala.

Totah said that as time passed, she developed “serious anxiety” from the pressures of hiding her true self from the world.

“But when my friends and family call me Josie, it feels like I’m being seen,” Totah continued. “It’s something everyone wants, to feel understood.”

Totah received an outpouring of support on social media, including from “Champions” co-star Mindy Kaling.

I love you, Josie. I’m so glad you’re able to speak your truth and live as your authentic self. You’re also so damn talented – I can’t wait to write for you again! ❤️❤️❤️ t.co/OjIoI9Wpb3

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) August 20, 2018

The young actor is heading off to college this year, and said she plans to continue her acting career.  

“I can only imagine how much more fun it’s going to be to play someone who shares my identity, rather than having to contort myself to play a boy,” Totah wrote. “I’m going to gun for those roles… Because it’s a clean slate — and a new world.”

www.hrc.org/blog/actor-josie-totah-comes-out-as-transgender?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed