James Franco, Zachary Quinto Have A Threeway, Playgirl Model Gets Fired Over Pics, Kirk Cameron’s Scheme Backfires

Wonder what a James Franco and Zachary Quinto sandwich would be like? Up-and-coming actor Charlie Carver knows. E!’s Marc Malkin reports the three have filmed a torrid love scene for their upcoming indie flick Michael, about a former gay activist/magazine publisher “who became an antigay Christian fundamentalist after announcing he was now straight.”

LGBT cinema got lots of love when nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards were announced this morning. Love Is Strange, about a gay couple in their retirement years, received four nods. Justin Simien got two nods for his hit satire Dear White People (above). Gay fave Julianne Moore continues to dominate the best actress category for her work in Still Alice from out directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glazer.

Hugh Jackman has gone all Johnny Depp to become a very persuasive Blackbeard in the upcoming fantasy Pan, the gazillionth retelling of Peter Pan, which is definitely not to be confused with NBC’s upcoming musical version.

We missed the memo but it seems this is the week in which divas of a certain age are supposed to diss young female entertainers. First Bette Midler ridiculed Ariana Grande and now folk legend Joni Mitchell has put the kibosh on Taylor Swift‘s dream of portraying her in a movie, telling producers “All you’ve got is a girl with high cheekbones.” Uh oh, Tay-Tay’s totally gonna write a hit song about this slight.

Ever wonder what goes on behind-the-scenes of Looking with all those ravishingly handsome actors like Jonathan Groff, Raul Castillo and Murray Bartlett? The video above will fill you in.

Apparently lumbersexual has always been a thing. More than 20 years ago Daniel Sawker posed for Playgirl (NSFW pics here) in what might be interpreted as a lumberjack-themed pictorial. The photos somehow came to the attention of a spiteful coworker recently and have allegedly caused the now 49-year-old man to lose his job so he’s filed a civil rights lawsuit over it.

Two of our favorite things in the word — Chris Pratt and dinosaurs chasing children — are combined in the upcoming thriller Jurassic World.

That’s so meta! The Comeback‘s Valerie Cherish, played indelibly by Lisa Kudrow, will have you seeing red during this behind-the-scenes peek at her HBO series within a series.

America’s best Christian Kirk Cameron got pissed that critics dissed his recent Christmas movie so he came up with a lame-brained scheme to make the film appear more popular on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Needless to say, it backfired in a most satisfying way.

Jeremy Kinser

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Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas' Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/federal-judge-strikes-down-arkansas-ban-on-same-sex-marriage.html

Houston Trans Woman Beaten, Officials Offer Lukewarm Response

As Houston lawmakers continue to debate the HERO antidiscrimination ordinance, trans resident Thailand Warr says police didn’t address her being viciously attacked by seven youths with the seriousness it merits.

read more

Mitch Kellaway

www.advocate.com/crime/2014/11/25/houston-trans-woman-beaten-officials-offer-lukewarm-response

Arkansas Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down By Federal Judge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge struck down Arkansas’ gay marriage ban on Tuesday, which could pave the way for county clerks to resume issuing licenses.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker ruled in favor of two same-sex couples who had challenged a 2004 constitutional amendment and earlier state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, arguing that the ban violated the U.S. Constitution and discriminated based on sexual orientation.

But Baker put her ruling on hold, and the state is expected to appeal it to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.

The ruling comes as the state Supreme Court weighs a separate case challenging the ban. Justices are weighing whether to uphold Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s decision in May striking down the 2004 amendment and earlier state law as unconstitutional. Piazza’s decision led to 541 same sex couples getting married in the week before the state Supreme Court suspended his ruling.

Justices have not indicated when they will rule in that case. The lawsuit before the state Supreme Court also argues the ban violates Arkansas’ constitution.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s office had argued in federal court that same-sex marriage was not a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution. McDaniel, a Democrat who is leaving office in January due to term limits, has said he personally supports allowing gay couples to marry but will continue defending the ban — approved by voters by a 3-1 margin — in court.

Judges across the country have ruled against bans similar to Arkansas’ since the U.S. Supreme Court struck part of a federal anti-gay marriage law in June 2013, and gay marriage is legal in more than half of the U.S.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/25/arkansas-gay-marriage_n_6222010.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Florida Republican Files Bill to Expand Workplace Protections for LGBT Community

Yesterday, a Florida state Republican filed a bill to expand a state law to include anti-discrimination policies for the LGBT community.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/florida-republican-files-bill-to-expand-workplace-protections-for-lgbt-comm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Licensed Nail Specialist Makes Botched Gay Rape Attempt At ATM Machine

Phuc X. Kieu’s mugshot

A Florida man has learned the hard way why it’s really not a good idea to attempt to rape people.

58-year-old Phuc X. Kieu (we swear that’s his real name) was arrested after a bizarre gay-x-rated-fantasy-turned-burglary/gay-rape-attempt gone awry at an ATM machine in Orlando.

According to police, Kieu, who works as a licensed nail specialist, had been watching gay sex videos on a portable DVD player in the driver’s seat of his Honda Civic, which he had parked near a Campus USA credit union ATM machine at around 4:25 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. A man, whose name has not been released, went up and withdrew $220 from the machine. And that’s when Kieu jumped out of his car, pulled the man into the driver’s seat, straddled him and tried ripping off his clothes.

The man wrestled himself free and made a mad dash down the street, but not before Kieu was able to grab his backpack, pulling him back towards the vehicle. The man eventually broke free of Kieu’s grip and ran to a nearby shopping center hollering, “Rapist! Rapist!”

At some point, police say, the $220 the man had withdrawn was lost.

Police arrived at the scene short thereafter and arrested Kieu. He was booked into the Alachua County jail on charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery without a weapon. Bail was set at $150,000. (That’s a lot of mani/pedis).

As for the $220, it remains missing.

Related stories:

Man Who Falsely Accused Four Gay Guys Of Raping Him Is Headed Off To Prison

Was This Guy Date Raped Or Not? He Isn’t Sure.

Australian Man Bites Other Man’s Penis Half-Off During Attempted Rape

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

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NEWS: Ferguson, Nevada, Colton Haynes, Bette Midler

Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/news-12.html

Dirty Sexy Comics
Dirty Sexy Comics is an upcoming documentary that explores gay erotic comics, past & present, tracing the roots of the artform and the gutsy, creative men behind them! Dirty Sexy Comics is an upcoming documentary that takes a look at gay erotic comics, the many talents behind them and their impact on gay culture/lives. I spoke to director Robert Chandler about his project.

Why is documenting the history of gay comics important?

The history of gay comic is important because it’s the history of the gay movement. These people were documenting our lives before it was legal to do so. And gay erotic comics creators were showing us as we really are, what we desired and what we idealized. But there were risks. In the United States, it was a federal crime to mail a gay erotic drawing through the post office. And there wasn’t a FedEx back then.
These guys portrayed gay desire honestly, not just the sanitized version of our lives that we sometimes put out as we beg straight people to like and accept us. These were comics by gay men for gay men.

What is the biggest obstacle faced by the artists?

These guys faced so many challenges. They risked arrest, losing their jobs and being shunned by everyone they knew. Into the 1970s people stopped hiding. There were still risks, but because of these brave men, there was a booming underground gay erotic comics scene. Many of these guys were doing a page or two in porn magazines, which were booming after postal regulations loosened.

But it’s completely easy even now. The guys at Class Comic still have to worry about their books being seized at the US-Canadian border. Talented erotic artists are still dismissed as smut producers and are dismissed even among gay people. These creators have to worry about how doing erotic work will hurt other aspects of their careers. It’s a shame that even as comic books are getting respect as an art form, gay erotic comics and their creators go ignored despite their talent and courage. It’s puritanical.

How far back do you intend to go (historically)?
If you look at current superhero comics, your research will continually bring you back to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. When it comes to gay erotic comics, all roads lead back to Tom of Finland. Tom loved drawing comic stips in Finland as a boy in the 1920s. He never forgot his love of comics when his work became erotic. His art is beautiful and he’s a gifted storyteller with an knack for making sexual connections fun and playful. Just about everyone working in gay erotic comics has been influenced, directly or indirectly, by Tom of Finland.

Fortunately, Tom’s work has gained a level of respect over the past few decades. I hope to see the same thing happen to the greats in the gay erotic comics field that followed him and expended the art form.

How long have you been interested in this subject?

I’ve been a comics fan since my dad got me a 3-pack of Marvel comics from the grocery store. I’ve known I was gay since I was 14. I was excited to learn that there were comics creators who shared my sexual identity and my love of comic book art. My two worlds came together when I saw a copy of the Meatmen anthology books at A Different Light bookstore when I was around 20. It was such a thrill to see so many diverse and talented artist telling stories about all kinds of hot sex and doing it so beautifully. It was thrilling and liberating. It helped me form my identity as a gay man and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I want to know more about these guys and share what I find in my documentary. With all the wild artists, unapologetic sex and provocative visuals, it’s guaranteed to be a great ride.

Check out the Kickstarter here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1286422278/dirty-sexy-comics-the-uncensored-story-of-gay-erot

www.huffingtonpost.com/savas-abadsidis/dirty-sexy-comics_b_6215394.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

HRC Cincinnati Hosts the Workplace Equality Program

HRC’s Beck Bailey, deputy director of employee engagement in the Workplace Equality Program, was on-hand to share best practices on how employee resource groups can build a vibrant ally program.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-cincinnati-hosts-the-workplace-equality-program?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Rev. Al Sharpton Blasts Ferguson Decision; Officer Darren Wilson Gives First Interview: VIDEOS

Andy Towle

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/sharptonwilson.html