Category Archives: Celebrity
Zakar Twins Book, Tour plus Off Broadway!
I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon the Zakar Twins, but I found them on Instagram and have been a loyal follower, watching their careers soar for over 1 year now! Their best-selling book “Pray The Gay Away” came out in the Fall of 2017. That’s probably about the time I first discovered them.
These young gay models, writers, entrepreneurs, leaders in the LGBTQ+ community, and lovable goofballs Michael and Zach Zakar are known not only for their identical good looks but for trailblazing a path forward for queer people who come from Near and Middle Eastern cultures. As smart as they are funny, their memoir last year is a dual-account tragicomedy about growing up with deeply religious Iraqi immigrant parents.
“Mom knows.” A simple text that would change two twin brothers’ lives forever. Coming out is hard. The struggle is ongoing, a daily part of life whether to a new friend, a co-worker, or most importantly yourself. Pray the Gay Away chronicles Michael and Zach as they face awkward sexual encounters, drug-fueled escapades, coming out to each other, and their biggest foe – Mom, a woman who not only gave birth to what she calls one regret – but two.
The memoir hilariously and poignantly explores what it’s like growing up as gay, Iraqi twins in modern America. Pray the Gay Away was inspired the night Mom snuck into their bedroom and force fed them “holy grapes,” determined to “de-gay” them. She threw Holy Water on them as well!
The Zakar Twins are new voices speaking out against generations, particularly within the Iraqi culture, who look down on being gay. This book is not only for the LBGTQ community, but for young adults, looking to achieve normalcy.
“The book started kind of as a hateful thing. We wrote it because we were angry that our Mom reacted in such a demeaning way,” Zach said. “Then, over time, the project, it really resulted in kind of a beautiful thing. We were growing with the book, it was growing with us.”
Currently they are on tour with Drag Queen Christmas – The Naughty Tour! 37 cities now through Dec 29th! Presented by Murray & Peter. They will be heading South and West in the coming weeks. Get specific city and tour info at www.DragFans.com.
Their Mom has come a long way to acceptance and actually attended the show in Detroit! Her first drag show ever!
I am told that the producers, Murray and Peter are helping to bring their book to Off Broadway, hopefully in time for Pride 2019!
Recently the brothers relased a calendar for 2019. Defiance: taking a stance on changing the world’s conservative view on what it means to be gay in the Middle Eastern world. Shot by Dexter Brown.
“Everyone has their own unique story. Fortunately for us, we just wrote ours down,” Zach said with a laugh. “The book is done, but it’s not finished. We’re writing two more books about different things.”
Buy the BOOK and CALENDAR Here.
Get to know Michael and Zach with their great YouTube videos!
ZT on Instagram
ZT on Facebook
ZT on Twitter
ZT My Twin Chat App – a way to communicate with others who might be struggling with coming out or just needing someone to talk to. Many people coming out usually feel like they are the only one. So this app is a support system for those scared to talk to a stranger or a close friend.
“You cannot forget the bigger picture. It feels like life is caving in to a lot of people when it first happens. I think that’s one of the scariest things. Because all I was worried about, was when you grow up, there’s so much involved in the bigger picture,” Michael said. “That’s what I tell people, just realize there is light at the end of the tunnel even if it feels almost impossible.”
San Francisco Remembers Harvey Milk Nov 27th
Source Towleroad
Gay rights icon Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone will be remembered on November 27 at 7 pm with a candlelight walk from the plaza named for Milk to City Hall, where they were assassinated by SF Supervisor Dan White 40 years ago.
The walk, which will echo the spontaneous march that took place shortly after the murders, is being organized by the Harvey Milk LBTQ Democratic Club, which writes: “In November of 1978, bookending the Thanksgiving holiday, the city of San Francisco and, it might be said, the world was changed forever. The double horror of the tragedy at Jonestown, followed by the slaying of Harvey Milk and George Moscone was a crushing trauma to the heart and soul of San Francisco, and yet in that darkness we rose together in candlelight not only to remember those we had lost but to strengthen and galvanize ourselves to give them voice to continue their fight and and vision for the future….In honour of that same eloquent response, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club invites all to join us in quiet reflection from those who knew these great advocates of social justice at Harvey Milk Plaza. Following this, we will walk in candlelight to the steps of City Hall where current community leadership will echo their vision, just as those who were there did that warm November night in 1978.
Barbra Streisand Walls CD and Trump
BARBRA chatted with NPR recently;
Scott Simon: Why was it important to you to do this album?
Barbra Streisand: Because I could express my thoughts and feelings at a time when I was feeling sad and heartbroken about what’s happening to our country. And I’m so grateful that I have music in my life that gives me the chance to express my feelings through my work.
I gather the song “Don’t Lie to Me” is not about a busted love affair.
No. I started off trying to create that so that more people could relate to it in a way — lovers who go through this all the time. But it’s like that joke: A woman walks in and her husband is in bed with another woman. She gasps, and he says, “Well, who are you going to believe: me or your lying eyes?” I guess it’s about lies: The lies that are coming out of this administration are very unpleasing, unsettling. Maybe that means so much to me because I was lied to as a child. I’ve based my whole career on telling the truth.
Read the lengthy interview HERE.
Her newest cd Walls finds Barbra exploring both her concerns and hopes for the future in a collection filled with beautiful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. In addition to the three original tunes which the Oscar-winning songwriter contributed to, the songs on Walls explore topics near to the celebrated artist’s heart. Streisand also brings a fresh perspective to the classic songs “Imagine” and “What A Wonderful World,” and the Bacharach/David pop standard “What The World Needs Now.” The penultimate song that Streisand sings is a timely one called “Take Care Of This House” by the legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner.
Of all the reasons there are to love Barbra Streisand – and if you find that proposition contentious, I encourage you to stop reading and do something else – the quickest and easiest can be found in the answer she gives to the first question I ask her. Streisand, speaking on the phone from her home in LA, is about to release Walls, her first album of primarily original songs since 2005 and for which she has written the bulk of material. The lyrics are sharp and political, the arrangements are strong, but it is the vocals that are the most surprising: crisp, forceful, with none of the mellowing one might expect of a 76-year-old artist who on recent albums has seemed muted. I mention this to her – how great she sounds – and she bursts out laughing and says: “I know! I swear to God, I don’t know where my voice came from. I would come out of the studio and [the technicians] would go, ‘How the hell?’ And I don’t know, I don’t know! It just came out of me!” – source Guardian.
Over the course of her astonishing career, Streisand has recorded a number of songs that address the human condition. Recognized as one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary song, “Don’t Lie To Me,” and the other songs on Walls are sure to add to her enduring legacy as an award-winning singer and songwriter. In 1977, she became the first woman to win an Oscar for composing the music to the timeless standard “Evergreen” (Love Theme from A Star Is Born), which also went on to win the Grammy for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe. In addition, she has been duly recognized throughout her career for compositions on film projects emblematic of her songwriting gifts.
Drag Queen Christmas – The Naughty Tour
They are back! A fabulous assortment of your favorite queens!
Drag Queen Christmas – The Naughty Tour!
COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU! 37 cities!
It’s a Hilarious evening of holiday performances featuring contestants from the reality television show on VH1.
(Line up will vary by city – check online for your city and tickets HERE)
These talented girls will get you into the holiday spirit, with a naughty twist!
Plus special guests the Zakar Twins as Santa’s helpers!
This special event is Presented by Murray & Peter.
Get tour info at www.DragFans.com
Super Fan packages are also available in the first few rows with a first-in-line meet and greet pass, official tour poster and laminate with lanyard.
The holidays were never this naughty!
All ages welcome.
Tickets range $35 – $150
TORCH SONG on Broadway! Limited Run!
I am SO LUCKY, that as a young gay boy about 22 years old, I think it was 1982, I made it to New York city (from small town Michigan) and got into Studio 54 for an amazing evening and also got to see Harvey Fierstein on Broadway in Torch Song Trilogy with Mathew Broderick and Estelle Getty! ( I had read about the show in After Dark magazine, and seeing the show was the primary reason for my trip).
In that eye opening trip to the big apple I saw amazing clubs that are no longer around. I also met Andy Warhol on that trip! All the things I had read about NYC were true! What a trip! My little gay life would never be the same!
Harvey and the story left such an impression on my soul. I followed Harvey’s career over the years and saw his works whenever I could. He is genius to me, and “an icon.”
So I was THRILLED beyond belief to see Torch Song, a compact version of Torch Song Trilogy, make it to the stage in New York!
And with Michael Urie no less! Who I met in Chicago when he performed “Buyer & Cellar”. He is so wonderfully talented.
It’s magical that Torch Song is at the Hayes Theater, on it’s 35th anniversary, on the same Broadway stage where the Tony Award-winning premiere forever changed the face of popular entertainment. Along with the talented Drama Desk Award Winner Michael Urie, Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl shines are Arnold’s mother.
Torch Song Trilogy won Tonys for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play for Fierstein. 3 years on Broadway, it was truly a landmark show!
I am sure most of you know the story, but there may be some younger people reading who do not know the story; This show is fiercely funny and heart-wrenching. Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song follows Arnold
Beckoff’s (Mr. Urie) odyssey to find happiness in New York. All he wants is a husband, a child, and a pair of bunny slippers that fit, but a visit from his overbearing mother (Ms. Ruehl) reminds him that he needs one thing more: respect.
This story was of Arnold’s struggle to be accepted as a young Jewish gay man living in New York City in the late 1970s and ’80s. What’s amazing, in some ways, is that it was powerful then to me; this is pre AIDS, pre gay marriage, PRE EVERYTHING and today the story is still just as powerful.
“Forty years after writing Torch Song, it still speaks to audiences making them laugh and weep and happy,” says Fierstein in a statement. “Unbelievable. And to now return to the theater where it played all those years ago… Beyond wishes… Beyond dreams.. Beyond the most outrageous fantasy.”
“A great play makes you think, and what’s going on in the White House is always in the back of our minds,” Urie told NewNowNext about the timeliness of the revival. “We’re all confused, terrified, and clinging to each other, so Arnold, the ultimate caretaker, is the kind of friend we need right now. Yes, he’s flawed, but he has so much heart and compassion.”
I urge you to see this brilliant show, if you haven’t already! LIMITED RUN!!
Join Arnold on this all too human journey about the families we’re born into, the families we choose, and the battles to bring them all home.
Torch Song is playing at the Hayes Theater at 240 West 44th Street.
Directed by Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman
www.torchsongbroadway.com
CHER New Cd and Tour
SEE THAT GIRL…
WATCH THAT GIRL…
SHE’S THE DANCING QUEEN!
She’s back! At 72 and going strong!
The one and only Cher will released Dancing Queen last week, a new album of all Abba hits by Warner Bros. Records.
The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Award winning icon was inspired to record the album following her stunning performance in the recently-released mega-hit film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Commented Cher: “I’ve always liked Abba and saw the original Mamma Mia musical on Broadway three times. After filming Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, I was reminded again of what great and timeless songs they wrote and started thinking ‘why not do an album of their music?’ The songs were harder to sing than I imagined but I’m so happy with how the music came out. I’m really excited for people to hear it. It’s a perfect time.”
Dancing Queen was recorded and produced in London and Los Angeles with Cher‘s longtime collaborator Mark Taylor, who previously produced Cher‘s global smash “Believe” which was number one in over 50 countries. And it does not disappoint! I truly love the last song on CD I think the best, “One of Us”.
Cher is scheduled to be awarded a Kennedy Center Honor on December 2nd in Washington DC.
She is a co-producer of the The Cher Show, the upcoming Broadway musical opening on December 3rd ( we saw it in Chicago and LOVED IT!)
She is currently performing a residency at MGM Resorts. Get tickets HERE!
NEW TOUR – The Here We Go Again Tour is the seventh solo concert tour by American singer-actress Cher in support of her twenty-sixth studio album Dancing Queen. It is the first time the singer tours Oceania since her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour in 2005. The tour started on September 21, 2018 and will finish on May 18, 2019.
Cities with Ticket links HERE
Summer Drag Camp – Camp Wannakiki
The premise is simple… take eight drag queens to see who can last the week at an actual Summer Camp and claim the crown “Queen of Camp!” CAMP WANNAKIKI is a new drag reality show airing on YouTube.
This hilarious new show features eight of the campiest campers in the Midwest (O’laysia Prime, Dominique DeGrant, VajayJ Snappinturtle, Pagan Holladay, Sylvia Nixx, Alexis P Bevels, Muffy Fishbasket and C’est Kevvie), along with kooky Camp Counselor Dear Ruthie and Camp Directors Apple Brown Betty and Cherry Pi!
Each episode reprises a day at camp, where campers perform various activities best suited for 10 year olds, as opposed to grown-ass drag queens. Tune in for the hilarity that ensues!
This entertaining competition keeps the focus on fun and friendship, while giving drama and backstabbing the cold shoulder, as was the goal of creators and producers Ashley and Brandon Wright.
The Wrights are real life twin brothers and drag life twin sisters Apple Brown Betty and Cherry Pi Sugarbaker. The twins are also co-owners of Hamburger Mary’s International, and were recently featured on the hit CBS show “Undercover Boss.” Going on 20 locations, Mary’s is known not only for their gourmet burgers, but also for putting on great drag shows across the country.
Let’s Eat, drink and be “Mary” this summer at Camp Wannakiki!
Follow the campy fun on YouTube
Camp Wannakiki FB page
HOOKED by Max Emerson
Max Emerson is widely known for his popular Instagram account, which has garnered more than 770,000 followers worldwide. But now the social media influencer has gone behind the camera for his feature-film directorial debut, Hooked.
Written and directed by Emerson, Hooked tells the story of Jack (Conor Donally), a homeless queer teen who struggles in the dangerous world of sex work while seeking a better life with his boyfriend, Tom
Max has crowdsourced funds to get the film made. Half of the proceeds from the film will go to benefit not-for-profit organizations whose missions align with the cause.
“When I was younger, I had a lot of issues with some of the things I had seen in the gay community,” the 28-year-old told Billboard. I feel like it’s kind of eating itself alive in a lot of ways. So a lot of the things I wrote were in a response to that.”
“For the last couple years I’ve been doing the Instagram super-shameless comedy stuff to kind of build up a following so that I’d have a means of producing these things that mean more to me.”
Max has over 18 million views on YouTube! Last month, he discussed Hooked and Sobriety.
Max is currently based in Los Angeles, but spends more than half of his time in other cities around the world. Lucky him!
The movie is excellent!
Well written and well acted! HOOKED is available on DVD/VOD today! Please check it out on Itunes or any other pay-per-view VOD platform.
Watch trailer HERE
Jason Gould New CD
As the son of Elliott Gould and Barbra Streisand, Jason Gould grew up in show business. He costarred with his mom in 1991’s The Prince of Tides during his brief acting career, and then in 2012 joined her on tour to perform a duet of “How Deep Is the Ocean” in front of thousands of her adoring fans.
In the midst of what he believes was “a well-received moment” on the tour, the Los Angeles resident released his first EP, a self-titled compilation of five songs, including one that caught legendary music producer Quincy Jones‘ ear.
“Quincy had heard my version of ‘Nature Boy’ and he came up to me and said, ‘We’re going to make an album together,’ ” Gould recalls. “And I said, ‘We are?’ And now we have. That he would want to work with me is still sort of stunning to me.”
With his debut album, Dangerous Man, Gould is ready to for his voice to stand on its own. “Audiences are going to learn a lot about me from this record,” he says. “I’m just going to let this fly out into the world and see what happens.”
DANGEROUS MAN was available for downloading last week. After fans begged for an actual CD, Jason delivered! CD now available at CD BABY.
Lady Bunny Holiday Sale
Need a last minute holiday gift!
Your friends WILL LOVE THESE!
and they are on SALE!! WHOO HOO!!
Lady Bunny t-shirts are now on sale for $20, including shipping! (This does not include PayPal charges, however.) 100% cotton in black only, with sizes S-3XL. Order right now to ensure delivery just in time to wrap them!
The shirts feature an eye-popping design by famed illustrator Michael Economy, who’s best known for his work for both designer Anna Sui and his own creations on iheartme.com. As a testament to his talent, he totally captured that demented look in my eyes and even made me look thinner!
To help you find your perfect fit, these tees are manufactured by Next Level Apparel. They aren’t the super-duper trim fit, but they are a trimmer fit than the boxy, oversized thick cotton type. (In other words, if you are usually in between sizes, you should probably select the larger of the two. No shade intended cuz I wear a 2XL myself!
Check them out here: http://ladybunny.net/team/
Broadway Cares – Christmas Carols for a Cure
Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, Hamilton, Waitress and A Bronx Tale.
The Christmas season is in full show tune swing now that the 19th volume of Broadway’s Carols for a Cure has arrived. The latest compilation from the beloved series continues Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ tradition of pairing the casts from award-winning Broadway musicals with seasonal songs that are both classic and new. Once again, the result is pure magic and is sure to help make the 2017 holiday season shine brighter than ever before.
“These are all new, original recordings, creatively arranged and performed by the incredibly talented performers and musicians from the 2017 Broadway season,” explains producer Lynn Pinto who, once again, collaborates with engineer Andros Rodriguez on the album. Pinto allows each company a great deal of freedom in choosing the material and the style of the arrangement. She adds, “We record the musicians and singers in layers, utilizing isolation booths for a higher quality recording. It gives the album a unique sound from most cast albums and allows us to showcase some of the best voices and instrumentalists in the world.”
The first Broadway’s Carols for a Cure album debuted in 1999, making this year’s album the 19th in the annual series. Fans of Broadway will be overjoyed to hear recordings from Tony Award winning casts of Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Come From Away and many more:
WICKED God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Highlights are copious but include Billy Porter and the cast of Kinky Boots singing an all-new, rockin’ version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and the cast of A Bronx Tale performing “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” in a New Yawker-style that will have listeners humming for days.Additionally, Meghan Toohey (Sara Barielles’ long-time guitarist) serves up a lovely 1960s-style original song, “Wonder What You Got For Me,” featuring the talented Anastacia McCleskey and the rest of the company and band from Waitress; and Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the composer/lyricist team behind Anastasia perform their original carol, “All Those Christmas Cliches,” along with their award-winning cast.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with serious illnesses including AIDS receive the health care and support they need. In addition, they provide financial support in the form of grants to AIDS and family service organizations throughout the country.
“The 19th volume of Broadway’s Carols for a Cure is the best yet,” promises Lynn Pinto. “It exudes such warmth, like a cozy blanket on a snowy Winter’s day.”
The 2-CD set is in the web store at BroadwayCares.org or by calling Broadway Cares at 212-840-0770.
BALLS A Documentary by Charlie David
Balls is a one hour documentary that covers every angle and topic we could brainstorm to do with testicles. From sex and sports to health concerns like sperm count, torsion and bringing attention to Movember we’ve left no jock-strap unexplored.
During Movember, we’re sharing our BALLS documentary series for free on YouTube! Please consider writing an article, posting these videos and sharing on your social.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel to explore all things balls related in this special men’s health series.
Please share with your friends, post on your social and encourage your buddies to check their balls – or lend a helping hand – it could save a life!
November is men’s health month. Share this link with promocode FreeBalls for 50% off your rental of the unblurred, unbleepedBalls documentary on Vimeo.
Cher and Barbra and Oprah and More
from NEWSDAY –
Celebrities from stage, screen and sports — from Barbra Streisand to Justin Bieber, Julia Roberts to Jamie Foxx — banded together in a telethon Tuesday night that aired on every major network to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
“Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief” raised nearly $15 million in an hour featuring numerous pleas including one from Beyoncé, a native of Houston, which was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. “Natural disasters don’t discriminate,” she said. “They don’t see if you’re an immigrant, black or white, Hispanic or Asian, Jewish or Muslim, wealthy or poor . . . We’re all in this together.”
CAN YOU IMAGINE calling in and getting Cher or Barbra or Oprah on the phone???
Before leading a gospel choir on “Lean on Me,” however, Stevie Wonder couldn’t resist making a slight dig at climate change deniers.
“We should begin to love and value our planet,” he said. “And anyone who believes that there is no such thing as global warming must be blind or unintelligent.”
Andrew Christian Model Contest SIR JET
He made the first cut, now he is in the video round! PLEASE VOTE ASAP.
Sir JET #Singer, #vlogger, #model, and #gender-nonconformist Sir JET aka Joel Evan Tye!
The mysterious and alluring gender-bending Sir JET aka Joel Evan Tye is a popstar like no other. With his super-hero body and love for skin tight costumes and anime, he is what has been referred to as “Nick Lachey meets Ziggy Stardust.” The online article “The Boy Who Talked Like a Girl,” is the story of JET’s childhood struggle with gender anxiety that lead him to become an agoraphobic mute for almost a decade to only rediscover his voice again at age 20 and become the man you see today.
Stop by the “Submissions” page and cast a vote for our friend. Singer, model “Sir Jet” Joel Evan Tye.
https://2017modelsearchvideo.hscampaigns.com/#submissions
SPECIAL THANKS to EGOIST STORE on Halsted in Chicago!
EGOIST is a boutique specializing in men’s designer underwear, swimwear, athletic wear and casual wear in Lakeview, Chicago located in the heart of Boystown. Great selection of shirts, shorts, tanks and tees. Solid color or print, classic or enhancing, cotton or microfiber, brief or trunk….they got you covered!
See also
Sir Jet on Facebook
Sir Jet on YouTube
Sir Jet on Instagram
Grace Jones Documentary
“Listen to me! I’m human, man! I’m human,” Grace Jones says in the trailer for Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, a documentary that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
We’ll just see about that, won’t we? Shot over the course of a decade, Bloodlight and Bami was directed by Sophie Fiennes and documents the extraordinary Jones’s life onstage and off.
“You get all different sides with this documentary – totally natural, no makeup, just improv, no rehearsals and no special lighting until we did the performances, which I was totally involved with,” Jones recently told Now Toronto. “It’s really the first time that I unmask, I guess you could say.”
Jones also said she gave Fiennes complete creative control, aside from “a couple of ideas in the editing.”
“I never watched any of the footage,” said Jones. “I just had total trust in her, which is how I usually work when I collaborate.”
“Grace had fiercely controlled her public image, but made the bold decision to unmask,” Fiennes says. “She never sought to control my shooting process, and I didn’t second-guess the narrative of the film as I was shooting. I just gathered evidence. The film is a deliberately present-tense experience; for me this is the thrill-ride of verité cinema.”
Bloodlight And Bami juxtaposes Jones’ avant-garde stage persona with the true off-screen identity we seldom see. “The performer out there takes the risk—it’s a lonely place,” Jones says in the trailer. “But it’s a fascinating lonely place.”
“She is gypsy, artist and partying hedonist, warm and funny but also a fierce and tenacious businesswoman,” the film’s press notes promise of its subject. “This is a Grace we have not seen before.” GET A PEAK!
Chance Perez Kisses Michael Conor Boy Band
Be still my heart! Loving the new show BOY BAND.
In the first few weeks, I found the show kind of insulting to gay people. I sent them a note stating, Yes you have boys in bands, Yes, they have girl fans. But I am sure they have some boy fans too. American Idol and X factor do the same thing. They alienate the gay fans. Just says FANS. Don’t make it heterosexual.
Recently I noticed they have stopped doing that.
I love both Chance and Michael. And when Chance appeared to kiss Michael on the cheek recently, I thought WOW!~ Could he or they be gay? I hope so. That would be great if they came out.
It’s funny, on YouTube, NBC has the clip, with the KISS DELETED. I shot this video, from my TV screen.
19 year old CHANCE PEREZ
17 year old MICHAEL CONOR
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Follow Boy Band:
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/boybandabc
Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/boybandabc
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/boybandabc
#BoyBand
http://abc.go.com/shows/boy-band
About Boy Band:
“Boy Band” is a new series where talented singers battle it out to become a member of the next great music sensation. And for the first time ever, viewers at home will vote for their favorite five band members, live, creating a group America can truly call its own.
Lady Bunny on Donald Trump
She’s back! Roasting Donald Trump! WATCH
Unhappy parody lyrics by Lady Bunny & Beryl Mendelbaum
Video by Mikhail Torich / http://torich.nyc
www.LadyBunny.net.
twitter @ladybunny77 instagram official_lady_bunny
Costumes by Garo Sparo
DJ Austin’s Oil Can Harry’s July 6th
Seattle/Tacoma Pride performance July 8th
DJ Disco Sundays The Monster NYC 6-10 July 9th
Perform Trans-Jester! Fire Island Ice Palace July 14th w/ Daniel Nardicio
DJ Hamptons annual benefit Tea Dance 4-8 July 15th
DJ Disco Sundays The Monster 6-10 NYC July 16th
Perform July 22nd The Lodge, Maryland
DJ Disco Sundays The Monster July 23rd 6-10
DJ Disco Sundays The Monster July 30th 6-10
Vancouver Gay Pride August 6th
Fire Island perform August 11th and DJ August 12th
August 26th Gay Naturists at Poconos Valley Resort (I won’t be nude)
August 31 Klub Kids tour Dublin
September 1 Klub Kids tour Cardiff
September 2 Klub Kids tour Manchester
September 3 Klub Kids tour London
September 5 Klub Kids tour Birmingham
September 5th DJ gig in Lisbon
September 8th Klub Kids Amsterdam
September 9th Klub Kids tour Glasgow
September 10th Klub Kids tour Newcastle
September 17th Virgin Islands Drag Brunch
September 22 North Carolina Outer Banks Pride
September 24 Bushwig Festival in Brooklyn (unconfirmed)
September 26th Trans-Jester! in Perth, Australia
September 28th Trans-Jester! in Sydney, Australia
September 29th-30th Trans-Jester! at Melbourne’s Fringe Festival
Gay New York-Fire Island – INVASION OF THE PINES
Mascara, Mirth & Mayhem is a collection of photographs taken by renowned photographer Susan Kravitz over the past thirty years at the annual LGBTQ event known as the Invasion of the Pines.
The Invasion of the Pines occurs every July 4th and involves participants from the Fire Island communities of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines. It began in 1976, when a member of the Cherry Grove community had been refused service in a Pines’ restaurant because he had been dressed in drag. In protest, a small group of Cherry Grove residents cross-dressed and took a water taxi to the Pines on Independence Day of that year, to stand up against this “height of insult” by “invading” their neighboring community. Four decades later, the Invasion has evolved into a uniquely raucous event that joyfully celebrates human rights and freedom of expression by thousands of people, straight and gay.
Kravitz’s photographs capture the rebelliousness, the high camp, and the joy of the Invasion. They are provocative, introspective, sad and funny, and tinged with sexual innuendo. Yet they also reflect another journey, one that gives insight into the LGBTQ movement itself.
From the fearful, AIDS-ridden years of the 1980s and 1990s, to the joyous years of this decade when LGBTQ people are out and proud (and, if they choose, legally married), these Invasion photographs celebrate a day to be free, to be whoever you want to be, and to be gay.
“My photographs are as much about the times I which they were taken as they are about the people who populate them. Ultimately, they are about human rights and freedom of expression seen through the lens of the Invasion.” said Kravitz of her eighty-eight color and black and white photographs.
Susan Kravitz is a social documentarian of daily life. Over the past thirty years she has exhibited her photographs in galleries and museums in the United States and abroad, including China, South Korea, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the Czech Republic. Her Cherry Grove photographs were recently featured on the New York Times Lens blog (A Gay Haven on Fire Island) and in the International New York Times, Paris edition.
The book comes out next week! 148 pages, available in softcover or hardcover.
Book is available now on http://www.
CAZWELL Loose Wrists GAY MUSIC
NYC-based rapper Cazwell is back with “Loose Wrists”, the first single from his new music label Snow Cone, and hopes to “make America femme again.”
Cazwell performs much of the clip with his dancers in a set of pastel lace rompers designed by Hoza Rodriguz that have already gone viral on social media.
“We have a president that wants to take us off of the census and a vice president that believes shock therapy will cure gayness. At the end of last year, I vowed to be as gay as possible with my music and videos. We have to be more visible than ever and I hope I inspire that.”
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March for Equality 2017
Supporters of LGBT rights marched and rallied in the nation’s capital and dozens of other U.S. cities on Sunday, celebrating gains but angry over threats posed by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The centerpiece event, the Equality March in Washington, was endorsed by virtually every major national advocacy group working on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Activists have been embittered by the Trump administration’s rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.
They also complain that Trump, who campaigned as a potential ally of gays and lesbians, has stocked his administration with foes of LGBT rights, including Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Throngs of marchers, many thousands strong, paraded past the White House and toward the Capitol, trailing behind a giant rainbow flag near the head of the procession.
Two 15-year-old marchers, Jessica Dodge and Shekinah Aho, held hands and wore shirts that said, “Make America Gay Again.”
The Los Angeles pride parade was renamed the ResistMarch, and tens of thousands turned out in Hollywood, some carrying rainbow flags or signs reading “Love Trumps Hate.” Speakers included Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi, and RuPaul, the host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Waters led the crowd in a chant of “Impeach 45.”
“We’re going to take our country back from him,” she said. “I know that you have the strength. I know that you have the courage. And I know that each of you understand you have the power.”
Back in Washington, the activist leaders on hand included Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, which monitors media coverage of the LGBT community.
She noted that Trump, breaking from the practice of Barack Obama, has declined to issue a proclamation in honor of Pride Month, and that the Trump administration has deleted questions about sexual orientation from planned federal surveys.
“If you look at their prioritization, we’re really low on it,” she said. “There absolutely is a resistance aspect to this march.”
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CHER on Broadway 2018
A musical based on Cher‘s life is slated to debut on Broadway in 2018. The singer confirmed the news on Tuesday night on her Twitter account.
“Just got off phone w/Writer & Director of musical,” Cher wrote. “There will [be] performance in theatre with actors, dancers, singers!! It’ll be on Broadway 2018.”
News of a possible musical production tracing Cher’s life – and using Cher’s extensive catalog of pop hits – surfaced in January, when the singer attended a read-through of the production. According to The New York Post, Jason Moore, known for Pitch Perfect, will direct. Rick Elice, of Jersey Boys, penned the musical. Three different actresses will portray Cher at various points in her life. At the read-through, one of the actresses was Tony Award-winner Lena Hall.
After Cher attended the event in January, she tweeted her support for the project. “Just walked [off] the musical,” she wrote. “I SOBBED & LAUGHED & I WAS PREPARED NOT 2 LIKE IT. AUDIENCE CLAPPED AFTER SONGS & GAVE IT STANDING OVATION.”
Earlier this year, the singer accepted the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards. “I’ve wanted to do what I do since I was four years-old,” she said during her speech. “And I’ve been doing it for 53 years … I’m 71 yesterday. And I can do a five-minute plank, ok? Just saying.”
LIVE PROUD 2017 AT&T and GLAAD
Happy Pride! As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and Pride season, we at AT&T have launched our fifth-annual Live Proud campaign that celebrates self-expression and being bold (announcement release).
This year, from June 1 to July 31, friends, allies and members of the LGBT community are invited to participate in exciting sweepstakes and share affirming messages of freedom, confidence and unity to declare definitively that We Are Bold.
Participants can join the campaign in the following ways:
- Fans can post what We Are Bold means to them on their social channels, using either #ATTLiveProud or #WeAreBold on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, and AT&T will make a $1 donation to GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, for each post up to $50,000, the fundraising goal.
- When consumers click on a “Support GLAAD and Shop AT&T” offer at att.com/liveproud, AT&T will donate $5 to GLAAD toward the fundraising goal.
- Fans can also take part in the AT&T Live Proud Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to New York City for themselves and a guest to attend a live taping of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens L!ve with Andy Cohen.” To enter the sweepstakes, visit att.com/liveproud.
- Select national Pride festivals will also feature Live Proud activation experiences where guests can participate in the campaign by having their #WeAreBold portrait captured and learn about AT&T’s long-standing commitment to the community. Visit att.com/liveproud to learn which Pride events you can find AT&T at this summer.
There’s also a “We Are Bold” video that features these employees (check it out here). Fans can follow the images throughout the campaign with the hashtags #ATTLiveProud and #WeAreBold.
