Mich. Authorities Shut Down Gay Sex Club for Violating COVID-19 Order: ‘No Way They Are Six Feet Apart’

Mich. Authorities Shut Down Gay Sex Club for Violating COVID-19 Order: ‘No Way They Are Six Feet Apart’

The “dungeon room” at Club Tabu (Facebook).

A “sex complex” that houses a backroom gay club closed Friday after police in South Lansing, Mich., served the business with a cease-and-desist order for violating coronavirus restrictions.

Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County, told the alt-weekly publication City Pulse that a retail portion of the Fantasies Unlimited complex had been open in violation of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency COVID-19 order. The shop sells pornography, lube, poppers and the like.

“On top of that, there’s a club in the back room which has been opening and there’s a lot of close contact. No way they are 6 feet apart,” Vail said.

City Pulse reports: Vail said the Ingham County Prosecutor, Carol Siemon, had police serve a cease-and-desist letter a week ago, but the business ignored it. She said it closed after police served a second letter this afternoon. Fantasies is at 3208 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The club to which Vail referred is called Club Tabu, which caters to gay men. According to a customer, who did not want to be identified, patrons pay a fee to be buzzed into a large area with rooms for private encounters with one or more other men and monitors showing explicit sex films. One room features “glory holes,” where men could have oral sex through holes in the wall, he said, while another room has a sling.

According to its website, Club Tabu is “a large club with a maze and more that is located in the back of Fantasies Unlimited. You have to go into Fantasies Unlimited, and tell the clerk you would like to go into Club Tabu.”

“A maze is a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way, and in our case, it is very dark and made with walls that have a few holes in them 🙂,” the site states. “This is an alternative club, with an emphasis on gay/bi/ts/tg. No one will ever be turned away, however this is by no means a ‘swingers lounge.’ Although we would love to cater to every specific need and fantasy, this club is primarily focused on ‘male/trans fantasies.’ If there is a great enough need, we will designate a day for couples with bi to meet. … We plan on putting in a bathhouse eventually. As of right now, it is a maze of walls and people meeting and discovering what they have in common with each other.”

In addition to local health authorities, Club Tabu recently caught the attention of some in the right-wing media, who used the fact that the business remained open as a weapon for attacking Whitmer’s order.

“There is perhaps nothing more confusing than Democrat governors’ orders during the Chinese WuFlu pandemic,” Megan Fox wrote recently at PJ Media. “Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is by far the worst. That was made clear with the news that a gay swinger’s club with ‘glory holes’ is being allowed to operate under her nose in Lansing while she aims her business-killing death ray on 77-year-old barber Karl Manke for giving haircuts.”

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Mich. Authorities Shut Down Gay Sex Club for Violating COVID-19 Order: ‘No Way They Are Six Feet Apart’

Disney+ premieres new Pixar animated short film, ‘Out,’ its first with a lead LGBTQ narrative

Disney+ premieres new Pixar animated short film, ‘Out,’ its first with a lead LGBTQ narrative

Pixar's 'Out'

Pixar Animation/Disney+

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, Pixar has debuted Out, a new animated short film featuring its first-ever lead LGBTQ storyline. 

As part of its SparkShorts animated shorts series, Out follows Greg, a gay man who’s about to move in with his boyfriend Manuel, but who’s not yet out to his parents. When his parents come over to help him out with the move, he at first tries to hide his relationship, thinking his parents won’t be accepting. But after a magical Freaky Friday-like incident sees him trading bodies with his dog Jim (thanks to a helping paw from a sparkly purple cat and a pink fairy dog who descend from the heavens), a comedy of errors ensues before he eventually realizes he had nothing to hide after all! 

Out represents the best of Disney and Pixar’s legacy as a place for heartwarming stories about finding one’s own inner strength in the face of life’s challenges,” said Jeremy Blacklow, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Media. 

“The release of Out on Disney+ represents a huge step forward for The Walt Disney Company in establishing itself as a welcoming home for stories about all loving couples and families, including LGBTQ ones. GLAAD is thrilled to see Out’s debut today on Disney+ and we’re excited about its power to further LGBTQ acceptance for Disney fans around the world.”

The latest heartwarming tale from @Pixar’s #SparkShorts. Start streaming Out tomorrow on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gRvBEdK1Iw

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 21, 2020

Pixar’s SparkShorts program highlights passion projects from their story editors and animators, which exist outside of the studio’s big box office blockbusters. Steven Clay Hunter (an animator on Finding Nemo and WALL-E) wrote and directed Out and Max Sachar (who has worked on Coco and Toy Story 3) produced it. 

Although Out is the first LGBTQ storylines from Pixar, Greg isn’t Pixar’s first LGBTQ character. In March, Lena Waithe voiced a cyclops cop named Officer Specter in its feature film Onward, marking the first time a Pixar film has had an identifiable LGBTQ character with lines in the script that clearly identify them as part of the LGBTQ community. When Specter and another officer pull over one of the lead adventurers, Specter sympathizes, saying, “My girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out.”

As a result, Onward was banned from playing in several Middle Eastern countries.

In 2019’s Toy Story 4, two moms are seen dropping off – and again later, picking up – their daughter from daycare. The scene was notably protested by One Million Moms. (which is actually just one meddling mom)

If you have a Disney+ subscription, you can watch Out now, here!

May 22, 2020
Issues: 

www.glaad.org/blog/disney-premieres-new-pixar-animated-short-film-out-its-first-lead-lgbtq-narrative

Gun Nuts Threaten to Teach Sheriff ‘Big Lesson’ After Arrests at Texas Bar That Defied Coronavirus Order: WATCH

Gun Nuts Threaten to Teach Sheriff ‘Big Lesson’ After Arrests at Texas Bar That Defied Coronavirus Order: WATCH

Earlier this month, several members of a group called Open Carry Texas were arrested for carrying guns outside an Odessa bar that had reopened against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus orders.

Ector County Sheriff’s SWAT team raiding a peaceful protest at Big Daddy Zane’s in West Odessa. The bar opened this afternoon despite Abbott’s latest orders, saying “all businesses are essential.”

Full coverage tonight on @KPEJFOX24News & @Big2News pic.twitter.com/WHiwhmisgs

— JuYeon Kim (@JuYeonKimTV) May 5, 2020

Now, the group is vowing to return to the bar on June 6 for another rally — and to teach Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis “a big lesson.”

“We’re going to Odessa, and we’re gonna show this son of a b–ch what the Constitution really means,” David Amad (pictured above), the vice president of Open Carry Texas, says in a YouTube video (below). “Guys, we need everybody we can get. …

“We’re gonna have to stand up to this ol’ boy,” Amad says. “We have to put a stop to what this man’s doing. We just absolutely have to. Now, what that means is, when we go there, we’re gonna follow the law. Anybody who breaks the law, you’re gonna have to peacefully surrender. But if you don’t break the law — and we’re not gonna break the law — we are not gonna allow that son of a b—h to arrest us. We’re gonna exercise our constitutional rights, and he’s gonna respect those constitutional rights, and this time, I don’t care if he rolls in with the whole 2nd Armored Division, I’m not going to surrender to him, period. …

“I cannot say it strongly enough, this guy needs a lesson,” Amad says. “He needs a big lesson, and we need to go out there and teach him. … We’re not going out there with aggressive intentions, but if he attacks us, we are gonna defend ourselves vigorously.”

More from the Houston Chronicle: Griffis said in a press conference the day after the arrests that the presence of Open Carry Texas was meant to intimidate law enforcement and that the men were not there to exercise their Second Amendment rights. … The arrests of the six individuals led to extensive debate on social media over the validity of the charges against them. The men were charged with carrying weapons where prohibited; Griffis cited the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission code when explaining the charges, given the men were on a property adjacent to the bar. The Texas Penal Code defines a bar’s premises as the building where the bar is located and does not include parking lots or nearby properties. Griffis has said he and his family have received numerous threats since the arrests became national news. … A spokesperson for the Ector County Sheriff’s Office said they have seen the video but could not comment on it because it’s part of an ongoing investigation.

More form the Star-Telegram: Activists came from as far as Dallas on May 5 to support the reopening of the sports bar — and protest Gov. Greg Abbott’s mandated closing of the business because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the activists were armed and inside the bar, according to media reports, and law enforcement authorities were called, according to News West 9. Ector County sheriff deputies and Texas state troopers arrived at the bar and a SWAT team was called, according to media reports. Eight people were arrested, Sheriff Griffis said. Bar owner Gabrielle Ellison told CBS DFW that she understood the risks involved in opening up her bar, but that she needed to feed her family. Her message was similar to that of the Dallas salon owner Shellly Luther, who gained national attention after she opened her business in violation of county and state orders, with armed activists at her side. … Since 2016, Texans who have been licensed by the state are allowed to carry handguns openly or concealed, according to Texas Department of Public Safety. But there are many restrictions, including not being allowed in bars.

The post Gun Nuts Threaten to Teach Sheriff ‘Big Lesson’ After Arrests at Texas Bar That Defied Coronavirus Order: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Gun Nuts Threaten to Teach Sheriff ‘Big Lesson’ After Arrests at Texas Bar That Defied Coronavirus Order: WATCH

The Weekend Binge: Todd Haynes. Kate Winslet. Classic Hollywood. Everything we need.

The Weekend Binge: Todd Haynes. Kate Winslet. Classic Hollywood. Everything we need.

Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our series, Queerantined: Daily Dose. Every weekday as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a binge-able title to keep you extra engaged.

The Habit-Forming: Mildred Pierce

Lion of queer filmmaking Todd Haynes makes no secret of his love of classic Hollywood, especially the melodramas of directors like Douglas Sirk or actress Joan Crawford. How fitting then, that Haynes decided to do a full-on miniseries remake of a Crawford film, substituting the great Kate Winslet in the leading role.

Many readers will note that Joan Crawford picked up her only Academy Award for the film version of Mildred Pierce. Based on the novel by uber-cynic James M. Cain, the original Hollywood version jettisoned much of the novel’s character study and class commentary, making it into a more standard Crawford vehicle. Haynes’ version, by contrast, sticks closer to the book, and revels in the soapy drama of Mildred (Winslett), a single working mother. Mildred builds a business empire and dotes over her sociopathic daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) while suffering the pains of sexism and class warfare.

Trust us when we say only Todd Haynes could direct this kind of melodrama with such artistry. Trust us too when we say that Winslet gives such a damn good performance (she won an Emmy), we’re surprised Crawford hasn’t tried to crawl out of her grave wielding a wire hanger. Don’t let the premise fool you, either: Mildred Pierce captures viewers with an iron grip. With a stellar cast that includes Guy Pearce (who also scored an Emmy), Mare Winningham, Melissa Leo and Hope Davis, the series is, for all its soapy twists, addictive as Hell. The full series runs almost six hours. Don’t be surprised if you watch it all in one sitting.

Streams on HBO Go, Amazon, YouTube, iTunes & VUDU.

www.queerty.com/weekend-binge-todd-haynes-kate-winslet-classic-hollywood-everything-need-20200522?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Trump’s ‘Essential’ Churches, Kayleigh McEnany, Ahmaud Arbery, Joe Biden, Alabama, Gay Beaches, Lana Del Ray, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Ryan Murphy: HOT LINKS

Trump’s ‘Essential’ Churches, Kayleigh McEnany, Ahmaud Arbery, Joe Biden, Alabama, Gay Beaches, Lana Del Ray, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Ryan Murphy: HOT LINKS

DEATH-CULT CHRONICLES: Trump declares houses of worship ‘essential,’ pressuring governors to let them reopen.

It’s as if the president doesn’t understand how viruses spread t.co/oFWEimt61x

— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 22, 2020

‘I OBJECT TO THAT!’: Reporter Calls Out Kayleigh McEnany for Accusing Press Corps of Wanting Churches to Stay Closed

“Kayleigh, I object to that. I go to church. I’m dying to go back to church” — @jeffmason1 takes umbrage after McEnany suggests that reporters don’t want churches to reopen because they have something against religion pic.twitter.com/uEJQDgcApN

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 22, 2020

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE: Antimalarial drug touted by President Trump is linked to increased risk of death in coronavirus patients, study says. The study, published Friday in the medical journal the Lancet, is the largest analysis to date of the risks and benefits of treating covid-19 patients with antimalarial drugs. 

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains – Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020

THIRD ARREST: Man who recorded Ahmaud Arbery’s killing had tried to ‘confine and detain’ him with his vehicle, warrant says

The GBI says it will hold a news conference Friday morning on the investigation into Ahmaud Arbery’s murder. William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., below, is the man who recorded the video of Arbery’s death. He’s charged with felony murder & criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. pic.twitter.com/kVlsADHteS

— Jennifer Bellamy (@JBellamyTV) May 21, 2020

COVIDIAN OF THE DAY: Maryland Pastor Resumes In-Person Services Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Says ‘We’re Going To Do It God’s Way’

pic.twitter.com/klOrD2Bgn7

— Stacey Shiflett 🇺🇸 (@staceyshiflett) May 21, 2020

‘GOOD BLOODLINES’: Trump Praises Anti-Semite and Nazi Collaborator Henry Ford

The President says the founder of Ford has good bloodlines.. If you’re not familiar with Henry Ford, I would encourage you to read more about him and specifically his actions during WW2 pic.twitter.com/vniaOSR2sX

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 21, 2020

NEW NUMBERS: CDC estimates that 35% of coronavirus patients don’t have symptoms. The CDC also says its “best estimate” is that 0.4% of people who show symptoms and have Covid-19 will die, and the agency estimates that 40% of coronavirus transmission is occurring before people feel sick.

BEIJING: China’s LGBT activists step up push for gay marriage after official rejects change

FREE LESSON: Joe Biden Shows Trump How to Grieve in Emotional ‘Colbert’ Interview

MONTGOMERY: Alabama Running Out of ICU Beds For Coronavirus Patients As State Reopens

NEW NORMAL: Gay beach destinations plan for summer, with pandemic in mind. From New York’s Fire Island to Massachusetts’ Provincetown, the Northeast’s LGBTQ beach destinations are planning for a new normal this summer.

RAINBOW RIFF: Bus company faces backlash for rebranding Pride bus for NHS

🌈 Rainbows have become synonymous with hope and the NHS during the current pandemic, so we thought what better way to show our thanks to our amazing NHS and key workers, than to re-brand our Pride bus to our rainbow ‘NHS’ bus? 🌈
Look out for the bus on our roads soon! pic.twitter.com/yqq6OLNjq2

— Plymouth Citybus (@plymouthbus) May 16, 2020

CLARIFICATION: Lana del Rey isn’t racist, she’s just ‘advocating for a more delicate personality’

NEW VIDEO OF THE DAY: Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me”

‘IMAGINE IT’S 2009’: Ryan Murphy Wants to Shoot a ‘Do-Over Pilot’ of ‘Glee’!

View this post on Instagram

Imagine it’s 2009, and I lived in a world where I knew Lea Michele, Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein (Ben and Beanie, I believe, were in high school then…and I think they dressed up as Glee characters once for Halloween?) If I had access to that talent, here’s the new pilot: Lea and Ben are frenemies who fight for the heart and soul of Glee Club. Ben is also on the football team, and pretty much sleeps with the entire school and is the heartthrob of McKinley. Beanie is their mutual best friend, and torn. Suddenly, Beanie joins forces with Sue Sylvester, joins Glee Club and becomes the main soloist and the ruthless star of the club. Lea and Ben have to then join forces to dethrone her. I WANT TO SHOOT THIS DO OVER PILOT. Maybe I will?

A post shared by Ryan Murphy (@mrrpmurphy) on

NEW SONG OF THE DAY: Tituss Burgess, “Dance M.F.”

TRAILER OF THE DAY: Tenet

ON THE RAG: A weekly look at what’s making news in the gay magazines

FIT FRIDAY: Sergio Vega

The post Trump’s ‘Essential’ Churches, Kayleigh McEnany, Ahmaud Arbery, Joe Biden, Alabama, Gay Beaches, Lana Del Ray, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Ryan Murphy: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Trump’s ‘Essential’ Churches, Kayleigh McEnany, Ahmaud Arbery, Joe Biden, Alabama, Gay Beaches, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Ryan Murphy: HOT LINKS