Troupe429 LGBTQ Bar & Performance Space presents Drag Queen Story Time, featuring Anita Manager, Frankie M. Cyanide, Robin Fierce, at Norwalk Public Library in Norwalk, Conn., on Sun., Jan. 26, 2020.
CHLOROQUINE. CIA memo to staff warned against it. “At this point, the drug is not recommended to be used by patients except by medical professionals prescribing it as part of ongoing investigational studies. There are potentially significant side effects, including sudden cardiac death, associated with hydroxychloroquine and its individual use in patients need to be carefully selected and monitored by a health care professional.”
GIVE HIM AN F. Former Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) chief David Michaels rips Trump’s coronavirus response: “I would give them an F. They’re simply missing in action in handling this epidemic. 12 weeks ago safety and health experts said OSHA should be preparing, should be issuing emergency standards to make sure workers are protected first in health care and then all these other essential workers and OSHA still hasn’t done it. OSHA has been invisible in this whole response.”
TRUMP FAMILY. They want to keep fraud lawsuit private and prevent the release of the “Apprentice” tapes: “The Trump family and Organization hope to have the lawsuit–which began as a series of claims alleging a “racketeering enterprise” and conspiracy to commit racketeering–removed from the federal courts and sent into the shadowy world of arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution which operates on a for-profit business model.”
PAUL MANAFORT. Former Trump campaign manager wants early release from prison due to threat of coronavirus: “Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing made the request to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Monday, asking that the 71-year-old lobbyist and political consultant be transferred to home confinement to serve the remainder of his seven-and-a-half year sentence for a series of convictions on charges of tax evasion, failing to report foreign bank accounts, witness tampering and engaging in unregistered lobbying for foreign interests.”
ART EXHIBITION TOUR OF THE DAY. The Tate Modern is running a massive Andy Warhol retrospective that nobody is able to see because of coronavirus, so their curators Gregor Muir and Fiontán Moran take us through it.
TV PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY. Randy Rainbow sings Tom Waits on Better Things. “In Season Four, Episode Six, which aired last week, Sam travels to New Orleans for the same-sex wedding ceremony of Maneesh, one of her fellow passengers on a flight where the cockpit caught fire. It is a friendship struck during a moment of panic, yet their friendship has lasted. Maneesh (Kunal Dudheker) is marrying Andrew, who is played by real life Resistance hero, Randy Rainbow.”
Harvey Guillén Brings Killer Visibility to ‘What We Do in the Shadows’
The queer Latinx actor discusses the new season of the FX vampire comedy, in which his character Guillermo fights with Haley Joel Osment and Van Helsing heritage.
Almodóvar spills major tea on ‘Truth Or Dare’ scene with Madonna: “She treated us like simpletons”
Iconic Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar has been spending his time in quarantine reflecting on his life and career in a series of essays, one of which was recently published by Indiewire.
In it, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker spills some major tea about Madonna and that time he and Antonio Banderas were tricked into appearing in her 1991 documentary Truth or Dare.
“I went out with her the days she spent in Madrid,” he recalls. “I organized a big flamenco party for her… She had made it very clear to me that, aside from myself, she was only interested in meeting one other guest, Antonio Banderas.”
Almodóvar promised Madonna that Banderas would be in attendance, “I promised her that Antonio would be there, but I didn’t tell her that I couldn’t invite him without his then-wife, Ana Leza, a huge fan of the singer.”
He goes on to explain that Madonna insisted on making the seating chart, and that she placed herself right between Almodóvar and Banderas at the main table. Ana Leza, however, was relegated to “the table furthest away.”
“Madonna did not pay attention to anybody else,” Almodóvar continues.“Ana dared to get close to our table and told the divine blonde sarcastically, ‘I see you like my husband, it doesn’t surprise me, all women like him, but I don’t mind because I am very modern.’ To which Madonna replied: ‘Get lost.’”
Almodóvar, who insists he’s not out to settle any scores, says that Madonna never explained why she brought a film crew to his party, other than to say it was “for a keepsake.”
“If it had been the other way round (me filming Madonna and her team and making a film with all that material which I would then premiere around the world) I would have taken such a hit in the form of a lawsuit I’d still be recovering from it.”
“Madonna treated us like simpletons and I had to say it one day,” Almodóvar continues. “She didn’t ask for permission to use our images, and she even dubbed me, because my English mustn’t have been that good.”
Keiynan Lonsdale Busts Out of Musical Quarantine with ‘Gay Street Fighter’ — LISTEN
Love, Simon actor Keiynan Lonsdale has been cooking something musical up for two years but has decided to give it to us now so we can get down in lockdown. The track is “Gay Street Fighter” and you can listen below.
Wrote Lonsdale on Instagram: “I made this song almost 2 years ago with @louisfutonbeats, & it honestly sucked to keep quiet, but I know it’s here at the right time now. Have fun with this shit, it’s pretty good lol. And know the truth deep down: No matter what anyone or anything may have you believing at times… to be Gay, to be Queer, is to be a Champion for all. Love you, be safe, & boogie. ”