Joe Exotic’s Husband Opens Up About His Marriage to the ‘Tiger King’ Star, Including Their Sex Life: LISTEN

Joe Exotic’s Husband Opens Up About His Marriage to the ‘Tiger King’ Star, Including Their Sex Life: LISTEN

Dillon Passage, Joe Exotic’s husband, revealed Wednesday the Tiger King protagonist is neither a top nor a bottom.

“I would just say he’s a power vers,” Passage said during an extended call-in interview with host Andy Cohen on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live.

Passage, who now works as a bartender in Florida, also revealed that Joe is currently in quarantine in a federal prison, after being transferred from a jail where inmates tested positive for COVID-19. Before Joe was placed in isolation, Passage said he spoke to his husband three to five times a day.

“I do love Joe,” Passage said. “He’s been there for me through my darkest times, and I’m not just going to dip out and abandon him when he needs me most.”

When he first met Joe on Grindr in Oklahoma, Passage was 22 and addicted to prescription drugs including Xanax.

“I was in a really bad place in my life ,” he said. “I was going through a lot of things. I was an addict, and being around the animals kind of gave me a purpose. It brought me out of my depression. It was my own little rehab.”

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Quarantine got me like…

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On their first date, footage from which was included in the Netflix documentary, Joe serenaded Passage with a karaoke version of “This Old Town.”

“He was just super sweet to me, and he just came off as very genuine and a good down-to-earth guy,” Passage said, adding that they got married a little over two weeks after they met.

“We definitely jumped the gun, but I’m not ashamed of it whatsoever,” he said.

Asked about Tiger King, Passage said he feels the documentary “stayed true to the entire storyline.” He said he learned a lot from watching it about Joe’s past, including his long-running feud with Carole Baskin. “I tried to stay out of Joe’s business,” Passage said, adding that he believes Joe was set up by business partner Jeff Lowe, in a plot “orchestrated by a madman.”

“Personally, I don’t feel like I need to explain myself to the world,” Passage told Cohen. “My life wasn’t supposed to be put on blast, I wasn’t prepared for that. But Joe is a really good guy. He may have made some sketchy decisions, and I know he regrets them, but his intentions are really good at heart, and he would do anything to help anybody in need.”

Pressed about the couple’s sex life together, Passage said he too is versatile, but there was no S&M. “We actually never did anything like that, and he never asked me to either,” Passage said. “I knew he had done that in previous relationships.”

Passage also revealed that Joe’s “Prince Albert” penis piercing, mentioned in the show, is actually a relatively small padlock. However, Passage insisted that Joe remove it before sex. Also, they never had sex with big cats in the room.

Asked whether he has remained faithful to Joe, Passage said only that he is “very loyal.”

“He doesn’t want me to be alone, but he also doesn’t want me to move on, if that makes sense,” Passage said. “He doesn’t want me to leave, but I have no intention to leave. …. It’s a complicated situation.”

Listen to the full interview below.

The post Joe Exotic’s Husband Opens Up About His Marriage to the ‘Tiger King’ Star, Including Their Sex Life: LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Joe Exotic’s Husband Opens Up About His Marriage to the ‘Tiger King’ Star, Including Their Sex Life: LISTEN

HRC Responds to FDA’s Updated Policy on So-Called Blood Ban

HRC Responds to FDA’s Updated Policy on So-Called Blood Ban

Today, HRC responded to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that it was updating its antiquated policy regarding blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM). According to the updated policy, the FDA has shortened the deferral policy for MSM from 12 months to three months.

“While this change by the FDA is a step in the right direction, it still bases itself in bias rather than science. This is progress from the FDA. But our work is not yet done,” said Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “This announcement by the FDA reduces the waiting period of time to 3 months and shrinks its untenable, virtual ‘ban’ on blood donations for gay and bi+ men.  But creating policy based on identity as opposed to risk is irrational and given the current COVID-19 crisis, it is more critical than ever to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias.”

Earlier this morning, in a letter to the FDA, HRC once again urged the agency to make swift changes to this policy in the face of COVID-19 that is based on risk not status.  Due to the virus, more than 4,000 blood drives have been canceled since mid-March. 

“At no time in our nation’s history has it been more critical to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias,” David said this morning.  “Our response will define us for generations. As the global pandemic wears on, the integrity and safety of the blood supply in this country must be preserved, strengthened, and maintained. Continuing to enforce the de facto prohibition on blood donation by sexually active gay and bisexual men does not reflect the best science available. We must right this wrong now and without delay.” 

The Human Rights Campaign has repeatedly asked for changes to the federal policy on blood donations, since the FDA adopted its initial, discriminatory policy in 1983. Ten years ago in 2010, HRC renewed its call to change the policy to be more fully inclusive of LGBTQ Americans. In 2015, following a new change to the policy that required MSM to be abstinent for a year, HRC again affirmed that this approach was unacceptable.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-responds-to-the-fdas-updated-policy-on-so-called-blood-ban?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

FDA revises its ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood following pressure from GLAAD, medical professionals, elected officials, LGBTQ Americans, and allies

FDA revises its ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood following pressure from GLAAD, medical professionals, elected officials, LGBTQ Americans, and allies

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Today, GLAAD responded to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) revised recommendations on gay and bisexual men, and other LGBTQ people, from donating blood by reducing the deferral period from 12 months to 3 months.

Victory! After weeks of pressure from GLAAD and others, @US_FDA is lowering the deferral period on men who have sex with men from 12 months to 3 months. This victory, however, remains imperfect. We’ll keep pushing for the ban to be lifted entirely. t.co/uAVkU7A9HY pic.twitter.com/PsYO3qgwlk

— GLAAD (@glaad) April 2, 2020

This decision follows GLAAD’s continued campaign for the FDA to lift its ban that prevents gay and bisexual men, as well as others in the LGBTQ community, from donating blood and plasma. GLAAD launched a petition in March calling for an end to the current ban following U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams’ urgent call for donations during the COVID-19 crisis. The petition has over 20,000 signatures and elected officials including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Kamala Harris have spoken out.

The revised recommendations were posted on the FDA site this morning. An email from the FDA today also stated: “Based on our evaluation of the totality of the scientific evidence available, we are revising the 2015 recommendations for reducing the risk of HIV transmission by blood products including: For male donors who would have been deferred for having sex with another man; the agency is changing the recommended deferral period from 12 months to 3 months.” This change will also apply to female donors who would have been deferred for having sex with a man who had sex with another man.

The FDA also wrote: “To help address this critical need and increase the number of donations, the FDA is announcing today that based on recently completed studies and epidemiologic data, we have concluded that the current policies regarding the eligibility of certain donors can be modified without compromising the safety of the blood supply.  The policy changes that we are announcing for immediate implementation are set out in three guidance documents and are expected to remain in place after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.”

“LGBTQ Americans can hold their heads up today and know that our voices will always triumph over discrimination,” said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. “This is a victory for all of us who spoke out against the discriminatory ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. The FDA’s decision to lower the deferral period on men who have sex with men from 12 months to 3 months is a step towards being more in line with science, but remains imperfect. We will keep fighting until the deferral period is lifted and gay and bi men, and all LGBTQ people, are treated equal to others.“

Yesterday, the FDA issued a response via a statement to media outlets noting: “At this time, FDA’s recommendations regarding blood donor deferral for men who have sex with men have not changed, but we are actively considering the situation as the outbreak progresses.” Last week, the FDA issued guidelines stating that only people eligible to donate blood are eligible to donate plasma.

On Wednesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney penned a letter calling on the FDA to revise its ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood. The letter reads, in part: “This antiquated policy is not based on current science, stigmatizes the LGBTQIA+ community, and undermines crucial efforts to increase the nation’s blood supply as the United States grapples with the coronavirus crisis.” The letter also states: “In light of the potential long-term impacts the coronavirus outbreak may have on the nation’s blood supply, we urge FDA to act swiftly in revising its policy so every person who can safely donate blood in the United States has the opportunity to do so.” Read the full letter here.

Following the launch of GLAAD’s petition, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin led a group of Senators, including Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and more, in releasing a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn that raises concerns about the FDA’s discriminatory blood donation policies and urges the administration to make the necessary changes to help save lives. Read the full letter here.

Earlier this week, GLAAD contacted BioLife Plasma Services, an industry leader in the collection of high-quality plasma, and a spokesperson confirmed to GLAAD that the FDA’s 12-month deferral policy for blood donations from men who have sex with men also applies to plasma donations. Last week, the FDA issued guidelines stating that only people eligible to donate blood are eligible to donate plasma, noting: “COVID-19 convalescent plasma must only be collected from recovered individuals if they are eligible to donate blood.” According to The Atlantic, “the idea of using plasma from survivors, also known as convalescent-plasma therapy, dates back to the late 19th century” and is now being explored as a potential way to treat ill COVID-19 patients. Over the weekend, Houston Medical was the first hospital to try out this potential treatment on a patient.

Leading medical organizations have debunked the ban on blood donations for years. The American Public Health Association has stated that the current ban “is not based in science but appears to be modeled after other countries’ choices and fears.” The American Red Cross has also spoken out, noting that “blood donation eligibility should not be determined by methods that are based upon sexual orientation.” Years ago, the American Medical Association said, “the lifetime ban on blood donation for men who have sex with men is discriminatory and not based on sound science.” A 2014 study by the Williams Institute estimated that if the ban were to be lifted, an additional 360,000 men would likely donate, which could help save the lives of more than a million people.

GLAAD’s petition urging the FDA to lift the ban has now garnered over 20,000 signatures. Sam Smith (via IG story), Chasten Buttigieg, Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls), Peppermint (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Margaret Cho, Nico Tortorella (Younger), Josh Feldman (This Close), and Johnny Sibilly (Pose) have also spoken out have helped to share GLAAD’s petition on social media.

Sign the petition here.

April 2, 2020

www.glaad.org/blog/fda-revises-its-ban-gay-and-bisexual-men-donating-blood-following-pressure-glaad-medical

Maluma leaves little to the imagination with his home fitness routine

Maluma leaves little to the imagination with his home fitness routine

Maluma is not letting quarantine prevent him from keeping up his amazing physique.

The “Qué Chimba” singer is currently hunkered down at his house in Medellín, where he’s been killing time by swimming in his pool, dancing in his home fitness studio, and doing shirtless ab exercises to keep up his physique.

Earlier this week, the 26-year-old posted a video of himself and a friend goofing around in their swimsuits, along with a caption encouraging his 50 million followers to share their own dancing videos.

“I challenge everyone to make their videos,” he wrote. “The best ones I upload to my networks.”

 

He also included a shout out to El Arte de los Suenos (The Art of Dreams), the non-profit youth arts organization he co-founded in 2016.

Related: PHOTOS: Maluma’s wet Calvins break the internet

He followed that up with a second video of himself doing ab exercises because, hey, why not? Staying fit is important.

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En esta cuarentena lo qué hay es RAYA ??

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And speaking of staying fit, last week, he shared another video of himself (wearing some, ahem, rather revealing gym shorts). This time, he and his friend were dancing in his home fitness studio.

“Stay at home and be aware of helping the planet,” he urged everyone.

Related: Maluma addresses gay rumors head on

www.queerty.com/maluma-leaves-little-imagination-home-fitness-routine-20200402?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Dr. Fauci Gets Increased Security After Apparent Death Threats from Trump Cultists: VIDEO

Dr. Fauci Gets Increased Security After Apparent Death Threats from Trump Cultists: VIDEO

The U.S. government has beefed up security for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert who is a prominent member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, in response to growing threats to his personal safety.

The Washington Post reports: Fauci, 79, is the most outspoken member of the administration in favor of sweeping public health guidelines and is among the few officials willing to correct President Trump’s misstatements. … The exact nature of the threats against him was not clear. Greater exposure has led to more praise for the doctor but also more criticism. Fauci has become a public target for some right-wing commentators and bloggers, who exercise influence over parts of the president’s base. As they press for the president to ease restrictions to reinvigorate economic activity, some of these figures have assailed Fauci and questioned his expertise. Last month, an article depicting him as an agent of the “deep state” gained nearly 25,000 interactions on Facebook — meaning likes, comments and shares — as it was posted to large pro-Trump groups with titles such as “Trump Strong” and “Tampa Bay Trump Club.”

Fauci addressed the threats during an appearance Thursday morning on the Today Show:

“I’ve chosen this life. I know what it is. There are things about it that sometimes are disturbing, but you just focus on the job you have to do,” Dr. Fauci says when asked about if he needs increased security pic.twitter.com/MYoLH1HWQg

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 2, 2020

More background from Politico: The far-right’s most zealous Trump supporters have set their sights on Dr. Anthony Fauci. To the vast majority of Republicans, the entire medical community and the country at large, Fauci is the government’s leading infectious disease expert, respected for providing Americans with consistent, factual information about the coronavirus pandemic — even if it means contradicting President Donald Trump while he hovers feet away. But to a vocal minority of right-wing blogs and pro-Trump pundits, Fauci is the embodiment of the establishment forces that have been arrayed against the president since he came to Washington. And those voices are getting louder amid rumblings about Fauci’s standing with Trump as the president itches to get the economy restarted in the coming weeks. “A Deep-State Hillary Clinton-loving stooge,” read a Saturday headline on the American Thinker, a far-right website, latching on to a WikiLeaks-released email that showed Fauci praising Clinton for her Benghazi testimony as secretary of State.

The post Dr. Fauci Gets Increased Security After Apparent Death Threats from Trump Cultists: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Dr. Fauci Gets Increased Security After Apparent Death Threats from Trump Cultists: VIDEO

HRC Responds to Trump Refusing to Reopen Obamacare Exchanges

HRC Responds to Trump Refusing to Reopen Obamacare Exchanges

Today, HRC responded to the Trump administration’s decision against reopening the Affordable Care Act’s Healthcare.gov marketplaces to new customers despite millions of Americans living without health insurance during a global pandemic.

“Our country is in crisis. Americans are finding themselves jobless, lying awake at night trying to find ways to make ends meet and put food on their tables. The last thing people should worry about in a pandemic is access to health care,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Over 20 million Americans and almost one-in-five LGBTQ people lack health coverage. By not reopening the ACA exchange, Trump is making the LGBTQ community, and every marginalized community across this nation, more vulnerable to the virus. Yet again, Trump has failed us when we needed presidential leadership most. Americans need the exchange reopened, President Trump must act now.”

Last month, HRC released a research brief highlighting the fact that LGBTQ people are more vulnerable to the health risks of the virus. They are less likely to have health coverage, are more likely to smoke and have asthma, and have a variety of chronic illnesses:

  • 17% of LGBTQ people lack health coverage;
  • One in five LGBTQ people have not seen a doctor when they needed to because they couldn’t afford it;
  • 37% of LGBTQ adults smoke every day compared to 27% of non-LGBTQ people;
  • 21% of LGBTQ people have asthma, compared to 14% of non-LGBTQ people;

LGBTQ people are more likely to work jobs in highly affected industries, often with more exposure and/or higher economic sensitivity to the COVID-19 crisis:

  • One in five LGBTQ people live in poverty and 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ;
  • The top 5 industries that LGBTQ adults work in are industries heavily impacted by COVID-19, affecting more than 5 million LGBTQ workers or 40% of LGBTQ workers (compared to 22% of non-LGBTQ individuals working in those industries);
  • A disproportionate number of LGBTQ people work in restaurants (15%) compared to their non-LGBTQ peers (6%) and the median wage in 2018 for food preparation and service occupations is $11.09 per hour;
  • Only 29% of respondents to HRC Foundation’s 2018 LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey said their employer offers paid leave specifically for medical reasons and that they were eligible to use it.

Further, given the severity of this pandemic, HRC has taken steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, members, volunteers, supporters and all those who are fighting so hard to advance equality and build a better world for all of us. Specifically, HRC will, among other things, cancel or postpone all of our public events, including our gala dinners. Find a full list of all of HRC’s efforts and resources at this link. Read the full brief here.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-responds-to-trump-refusing-to-reopen-obamacare-exchanges?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed