Elton John And David Furnish Marry In England
Elton John And David Furnish Marry In England
LONDON (AP) — Entertainer Elton John and longtime mate David Furnish officially married Sunday on the ninth anniversary of the day they entered into a civil partnership.
The couple converted their civil bond under new laws implemented in England earlier this year that allow same-sex marriages. On Sunday the couple posted an Instagram picture of themselves preparing to sign official documents. “That’s the legal bit done. Now on to the ceremony!” they wrote.
John and Furnish planned a celebration at their estate near Windsor Castle west of London. An A-list crowd is expected — even if the festivities are likely to be much more sedate than the parties in John’s hell-raising rock ‘n’ roll days.
The singer — known for an impressive string of hits dating back decades — promised to post pictures of the festivities to fans around the world.
The nuptials came as no surprise: John had tweeted about his plans earlier in the week, and earlier in the year had praised England for embracing same-sex marriage. He said there had been a remarkable change in a country where homosexual acts had long been deemed criminal offenses.
John said the wedding would be a joyous occasion shared with the couple’s two sons, Zachary and Elijah.
The menu was traditional and posh, featuring wild mushroom soup with truffle cream, beef short rib with caramelized onion pie and warm chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert, according to a photo of the menu posted by Brooklyn Beckham, son of soccer start David Beckham and designer Victoria Beckham.
The champagne was Laurent-Perrier.
In his post, Brooklyn Beckham offered congratulations to “Uncle Elton and Uncle David.”
John said earlier this year that he and Furnish planned to take advantage of the changes to the law, even though they already had a civil bond recognized by the courts.
“We shouldn’t just say, ‘Oh well, we have a civil partnership, we’re not going to bother to get married,” he said.
John and Furnish met in 1993. Both have been active in a number of charities, with John focusing on efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 in recognition of his charitable works.
Texas' First LGBTQA Geek Convention, HavenCon, Is Coming To Austin in 2015: VIDEO
Texas' First LGBTQA Geek Convention, HavenCon, Is Coming To Austin in 2015: VIDEO
Next spring Texas is getting its first geek convention geared towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender gamers, nerds, and comic book enthusiasts. HavenCon, as its name suggests, is meant to be equal parts geek gathering and safe space for queer-identified people of all ages. HavenCon founder Shane Brown first began organizing Texas-based LGBTQA fantasy and sci-fi enthusiasts in 2012 when he founded Gay Austin Geeks, an online social network.
“Even within the gay community, we often exist within our smaller segmented groups,” Brown explained in a press release. “But comic and gaming conventions are all about the melding of geeks, gamers and nerds of every size, race, age and gender identity.”
“With HavenCon, we’re creating a safe, entertaining and diversity-welcoming environment for people that enjoy comic books, video games, science fiction and more,” said HavenCon founder Shane Brown. “We’ll have a cosplay contest, gaming tournaments, industry panelists, local artists and writers—all of it while celebrating what makes us both different and special.”
Money raised from HavenCon ticket sales will go to OutYouth, an Austin-based outreach center for LGBT youth. HavenCon is set to begin the weekend of April 4 at the Holiday Inn Midtown in Austin, Texas. Tickets for the convention are on sale at HavenCon’s website.
Watch a promo for HavenCon, AFTER THE JUMP…
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Best Moments in Pop Culture in 2014 / Culture, Society, LGBT, Equality, Sports, Celebrities
The Best Moments in Pop Culture in 2014 / Culture, Society, LGBT, Equality, Sports, Celebrities
Moments that ‘popped’ in 2014 From celebrity weddings to the rise of Laverne Cox Aisha Moodie-Mills and Danielle Moodie-Mills talk about the best moments in pop culture in 2014. MELISSA …
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIYhun4g3WY&feature=youtube_gdata
Lance Bass And Michael Turchin Officially Tie The Knot
Lance Bass And Michael Turchin Officially Tie The Knot
Lance Bass and Michael Turchin are officially married!
Turchin and the former NSYNC member tied the knot Saturday night at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, according to E! Online. The ceremony was officiated by actresses Jamie-Lynn Sigler and JoAnna Garcia Swisher, and Bass’ close friends and former bandmates Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez were all in attendance.
“The whole wedding itself is very classy, you know. We wanted to plan something that could last for 100 years,” Bass told E! “When we show our grandchildren this amazing tape of our wedding, the best wedding video ever, I want them to be able to look at this and be like, ‘Wow, that stood the test of time.’ So we’re using a lot of elements in the wedding that are classy, and one of those is definitely our first dance. The song we chose is a song that lasts forever, something that is very special to us.”
The couple has been dating since December 2011. Bass proposed to Turchin, a painter and actor, last August in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is my favorite city in the world,” Bass explained earlier this year in a special edition of his SiriusXM radio show, “Dirty Pop with Lance Bass.” “I’ve been coming here my whole life. I was born just across the border here [in Laurel, Mississippi] … and Turkey also has roots here.”
“I got down on one knee and I proposed,” Bass went on, “right in front of Jackson Square, my favorite place.”
Watch Bass and Turchin get hitched in the 90-minute special “Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding” on Thursday, Feb. 5 on E!
This Holiday Underwear Party Showcases Packages With Talent. Double Win.
This Holiday Underwear Party Showcases Packages With Talent. Double Win.
Colby Melvin kicks off the CheapUndies holiday video by explaining that instead of sending out Christmas cards, he decided to invite some friends over to make a “holiday card, come to life.” In underwear, obviously.
It quickly becomes a showcase of Colby’s friends performing a variety of acts. Also in their underwear, obviously.
Quinn Jaxon starts the show with an impressive ballet number and Shawn Stolz follows him with a dance version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Montana Volby plays the trombone, Roger DuPlease sings, and Broadway star Brian Austin Crum shows off his impressive pipes by closing the show.
We sincerely hope that there was central heating in the house they filmed at.
Check out the ho, ho, hos here:
Dan Tracer
Duck Dynasty Star Isn't Quite Sure If You Choose To Be Gay, But He's Trying to Figure it Out: VIDEO
Duck Dynasty Star Isn't Quite Sure If You Choose To Be Gay, But He's Trying to Figure it Out: VIDEO
Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson is studying the Bible in a quest to figure out if being gay is a choice.
Willie’s dad Phil got into some serious hot water a year ago when he attacked gay “sinners” who are going to hell. In an interview with GQ, Robertson senior also oddly said “we never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell.” Phil later defended his views but claimed that although he’s a homophobe, gay people “need to know that I love them”.
Speaking with Larry King, junior Robertson said that he doesn’t agree with everything his old man said in the interview because “we love everybody.” Her also helpfully pointed out that there are many, many gay people in the entertainment world.
Asked if he believes that being gay is a choice, young Willie said:
“Larry, I’m trying to figure that out right now. I really am since the controversy and since I know all these people — and if the thought is ‘I’m born this way.’
“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out myself through the passages, because I always have to look to the scriptures to see what’s there and then I put it up against people — put my time in, so I’ve spent time with people.
“I’m not the judge. God’s going to be the judge, so it’s not my job to convince people to change their lives — it’s really through Jesus. If I just introduce them to Jesus, he’ll do that.”
Willie didn’t elaborate on when he made the decision to be heterosexual.
Watch the interview, AFTER THE JUMP…
Jim Redmond
www.towleroad.com/2014/12/duck-dynasty-star-isnt-quite-sure-if-you-chose-to-be-gay-video.html
Elton John and David Furnish Are Married!
Elton John and David Furnish Are Married!
As expected, Elton John and David Furnish celebrated 21 years together with an intimate wedding ceremony at the couple’s Windsor home on Sunday.
Wrote Elton on the caption to the above photo: “That’s the legal bit done. Now on to the ceremony!
#ShareTheLove @DavidFurnish“
The 67-year-old singer set up an Instagram account for fans to share in the special day’s celebration. Sons Zachary and Elijah were the ring bearers.
Check out more photos, AFTER THE JUMP…
“It’s beginning!! The Registrar welcomes our guests.#ShareTheLove”
“Zachary grabs David’s iPhone and takes a photo of his brother while we exchange our vows. #ShareTheLove”
“The tables look stunning! We had red roses at our Civil Partnership 9 years ago and they brought us so much luck. #ShareTheLove”
“Today’s menu! #ShareTheLove”
Photos via Instagram
Kyler Geoffroy
www.towleroad.com/2014/12/elton-john-and-david-furnish-are-married.html
'Words Of Hope' Campaign Provides Support For LGBT Survivors Of Prison Rape Through Letter Writing
'Words Of Hope' Campaign Provides Support For LGBT Survivors Of Prison Rape Through Letter Writing
“Words of Hope” is a campaign spearheaded by Just Detention International that aims to remind survivors of prison rape that they are not alone or forgotten.
Contributing to “Words of Hope” is easy — and completely virtual.
The Huffington Post chatted with Just Detention International Communication Director Jesse Lerner-Kinglake about “Words of Hope” this week about why this project is so crucial during the holiday season.
The Huffington Post: Why is this campaign important?
Jesse Lerner-Kinglake: “Words of Hope” brings comfort to some of the most marginalized people in the U.S. — survivors of rape in prison. Since the campaign began in 2010, many survivors have told Just Detention International that the holiday messages have been transformative, showing them that people on the outside really do care.
I know that writing a holiday card may seem like small gesture, but the impact is huge for incarcerated survivors — who are often completely cut off from friends and family, who may be forced to see their perpetrator every single day and who may not have received any mail for months — or even years. It’s hard for those of us on the outside to imagine it, but this is the reality for survivors of rape in prison.
What is the reality of life in prison for many LGBT people?
In many prisons, homophobia is deeply entrenched among staff and inmates alike. These toxic attitudes allow sexual abuse and harassment towards LGBT people to flourish. The numbers are simply staggering: one recent Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that roughly 39 percent of gay male inmates reported being assaulted by other prisoners. Simply put, stopping prisoner rape is a gay rights issue.
What makes this campaign as relevant as ever during the holidays?
For survivors, the holidays can be a time when the loneliness of being locked up, away from loved ones, is especially acute. The Words of Hope messages help cut through that isolation. One measure of the campaign’s impact is how survivors consistently ask us during the year whether we’re going to do the campaign again. The answer, of course, is always yes!
To give you a bit of an idea of what the campaign means, here’s what one survivor, Sarah Jo, told JDI: “This was my fifth consecutive Christmas in solitary confinement, and with the help of people who care I was able to feel at ease. I made a little tree out of a high-end fashion magazine and set up my cards around it to remind me that I am not forgotten.”
What do you hope this campaign evolves into in the future?
We think that the campaign is already having a major impact — we just want it to grow even bigger! My sense is that there are lots of people who are looking for simple ways to help, without giving a dime. We sent over 10,000 cards last year — but imagine if we doubled or tripled that number? It’d be phenomenal if everyone who believes, as JDI does, that rape is never okay dedicated a few minutes of their day to send a card to a survivor. And it would mean everything to survivors behind bars.
Interested in contributing to “Words of Hope”? Head here.
