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Breonna Taylor would be celebrating her 27th birthday had she not been shot 8 times by police in her home
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Flashback Friday: The day the refined Julia Sugarbaker accidentally mooned Atlanta on “Designing Women”
Julia Sugarbaker (played by the late, great Dixie Carter) is an elegant, outspoken liberal intellectual who had lived her life with refined dignity.
Until the fashion show.
Julia took to the runway of the charity event unaware that her dress was tucked up into her underwear.
What I love about this clip is how utterly humiliated Julia is. Dixie Carter just plays it brilliantly, as usual. It was not often we saw Julia in such a vulnerable position since she was the Alpha Female in this group usually pointing out how silly the others were being.
My favorite exchange is this:
Julia: What I don’t understand is why didn’t somebody tell me?”
Suzanne: “What I don’t understand is where were your underwear?”
Enjoy this hilarious scene from Designing Women!
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Morning Round-Up: Jerry Harris; Oprah Winfrey; T.R. Knight; Claudia Eller; Richard Grenell & more
‘Cheer’ Star Jerry Harris on Becoming a Gay Icon: ‘I Want to Be Someone That’s Fearless’ Variety
Oprah Winfrey Hosts Two-Night OWN Special About Racism In America Simulcast On All Discovery Networks Deadline
Former Grey’s Anatomy castmates Ellen Pompeo, T.R. Knight take a knee during George Floyd protest EW.com
National LGBTQ Leaders Are Urging Us to Help Reshape America Amid the Racial Tension LGBT News Now
Variety Editor-In-Chief Claudia Eller To Take Two Month Administrative Leave After Social Media Outburst The Wrap
Gabrielle Union Files Complaint Against NBC Universal, Simon Cowell 6 Months After AGT Exit People.com
Trump admin tells U.S. embassies they can’t fly pride flag on flagpoles NBC News
Richard Grenell, Trump’s Top Gay Appointee, Resigns Advocate
Ivanka Trump brought a $1,500 purse to Monday’s tear-gassing and now its designer is facing a boycott Queerty
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Friday Morning Man: Carlo Arrechea!
Got an email from a publicist promoting this stunning young man – it had the top two photos and a complete bio. So I’m running with it – word for word!
Enjoy!
Sizzling hot Havana, Cuba-born bilingual actor Carlo Arrechea is a star on the rise in Hollywood, recently making his U.S. prime time debut in the CBS hit TV series S.W.A.T. where he portrayed ‘Gio Torres’, a middleweight Cuban boxer, aka “The Caribbean King.” In the series, Torres is a prize fighter set to win a huge upcoming match when his pregnant wife if kidnapped and held for ransom. He enlists the S.W.A.T. team and works with them to retrieve his wife right in time for the delivery of their first child. The heartfelt role has garnered him much media attention and was one that was especially significant to him as it tied back to his Cuban roots.
A third-generation actor, Arrechea’s career began at the age of 6 when he played the son to his biological mother in a telenovela in his home country of Cuba. He fell in love with the craft and was selected as one of the stars of the children’s show “Los Chicos Altura” (“The High Kids”). In 2012 his family moved to Miami when he was 12 years old and he faced a culture shock that made him rethink acting. He decided to study psychology in college but dropped out after only one semester to return to his true passion. It was during this time that he got into theater and started receiving a lot of attention for his stage performances including “El Solar de la Palangana de Oro” by Raúl de Cárdenas, a work that opened many doors for him and earned him press coverage as the “new face of acting” by People en Español.
From theater, he jumped into television where he began with small roles in well-known Telemundo and Univision telenovelas such as “Más saber el diablo”, “El Cartel 2″ and “Alguien te Mira”. He also starred in two short films, “Fate’s Decree” directed by Michael Ruiz and the super production “El Manantial”, with renowned Sam Bradley as director. His career thus began to roll, and his name to be known on the Miami scene. Not long after he was cast in the successful Nickelodeon Latin America series “Grachi” which he starred in for three seasons (152 episodes). It was during this time that he also stared in his first leading film role in the romantic comedy LA REBÚSQUEDA, the highest-grossing Salvadoran film in the country’s history.
After his success in Latin America, Arrechea decided to move to Los Angeles to begin his crossover into the U.S. market. Throughout his acting career, he has starred in several television commercials, including the Jonnie Walker national commercial which toasts to immigrants and highlights their grueling path towards citizenship. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA and is an alumnus of the Stella Adler Academy of Acting. As a Cuban-born actor, Arrechea has always looked up to the original Latin Comedy star Desi Arnaz and a dream role for him would be to reprise the role of ‘Ricky Ricardo’ in a comedy series or film.
In his free time Arrechea enjoys reading, meditating, and exercising, and sees every day the opportunity to grow and improve in all aspects. He also enjoys volunteering for The Ronald McDonald House, where he feeds, plays games, and speaks with children and parents who have seriously ill children or family members in hospital.
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Black Lives Matter-themed Instagram posts from Bobby Berk, Greg Berlanti, Matt Bomer & Margaret Cho
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Victor Garber recalls coming out “inadvertently” to “this guy” in 2013 who happened to be Greg in Hollywood
I’m not in the business of outing people but I’m certainly happy to write about people coming out.
The celebrity whose coming out story I can claim full credit for is that of Victor Garber who talks about it in the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter:
VICTOR GARBER, ACTOR, 71: I did come out inadvertently. This happened in an interview in Pasadena. I think it was after the Golden Globes in 2013 after Argo. And this guy was interviewing me, and he said, “How long have you been together with [your husband] Rainer [Andreesen]?” And I said, “Oh, we’ve been together a number of years” and didn’t really think about it. And Rainer was on a ski lift in Aspen and said he got like 40 texts and he nearly fell out of his chairlift. He said, “I guess you’re outed now.”
Here’s more of what Garber had to say in the issue:
Ian McKellen and I had dinner one night, and it was just around the time he had come out [in 1988]. He told me I had to come out. And it really resonated with me. But I didn’t have the courage to do it until I was older.
After playing Jesus in Godspell, the director, David Greene, said, “I’d like you to play Liberace [in 1988's Liberace: Behind the Music].” There were some people who thought it wasn’t a good move [because Liberace had just died of AIDS], but I didn’t care. There was no question that I was going to do it. But I didn’t work in TV for years after that.
Related posts:
*** Exclusive: How my interview with Victor Garber ended with him confirming that he is gay
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The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Issue is out!
How I Came Out in Hollywood: A Decade-by-Decade Oral History The Hollywood Reporter
The 50 Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood including Billy Porter, RuPaul, Ellen, Dan Levy, Laverne Cox & more! The Hollywood Reporter
Lilly Wachowski Shares How ‘Matrix’ Franchise Was Inspired by “Rage” and “Oppression” Before Transition The Hollywood Reporter
The (Too Slow!) Road to Progress: A Timeline of LGBTQ Milestones in Hollywood and Beyond The Hollywood Reporter
A Personal History of Gay Pride and Prejudice: Hollywood Reporter’s Chief Film Critic Looks Back The Hollywood Reporter
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Pride Month Video: When Billy Porter performed “Home” from “The Wiz” at 2019 World Pride NYC
We need some Billy Porter today – and every day!
It is Pride Month and this video is from a year ago when the Emmy-winning Pose star belted out the power ballad Home from the musical The Wiz at World Pride in NYC.
Enjoy!
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Morning Round-Up: Lili Reinhart; LA Pride; Nancy Pelosi; Darren Criss; Oprah Winfrey; Lea Michele
Riverdale actress Lili Reinhart Comes Out as Bisexual NewNowNext
L.A. Pride Will Now March for Black Lives; Here’s How to Join Advocate
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Pride’s 50th anniversary LA Blade
Darren Criss & Wife Mia Carry ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’ While Heading To A Protest Just Jared
Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King discuss racism: ‘I do not know a black man who has not been profiled, including Stedman Graham’ Yahoo News
Lea Michele apologizes after accusations from former Glee costar: ‘I will be better’ EW.com
Lea Michele Controversy: ‘Glee’ Actors and Other Co-Stars Speak Out Variety
Glee’s Heather Morris Says Lea Michele Was ‘Unpleasant to Work With’: ‘She Should Be Called Out’ People.com
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Thursday Morning Man: Giacomo Gianniotti!
The very handsome Giacomo Gianniotti began playing surgical resident Dr. Andrew DeLuca, on Grey’s Anatomy in 2015.
The Italian-Canadian actor studied theater at Humber College and made his acting debut in the Italian television series Medicina Generale in 2010. He went on to play recurring roles in the television series Reign (2013) and Murdoch Mysteries (2013–2014).
The 30-year-old actor also starred as Freddy in the now cancelled television series Selfie (2014), and later acted in the made-for-TV drama film The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. In 2015, Gianniotti appeared in Backpackers as Andrew.
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Barack Obama speaks out: “The fact that people are paying attention provides an opportunity to educate, activate, mobilize and act”
Former President Barack Obama spoke out tonight during virtual town hall hosted by My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation. He personally thanked protesters in the streets across the nation following the death of George Floyd.
“As tragic as these past few weeks have been, as difficult and scary and uncertain as they’ve been, they’ve also been an incredible opportunity for people to be awakened to some of these underlying trends and they offer an opportunity for us to all work together to tackle them. To take them on. To change America and make it live up to its highest ideals.”
He drew comparison to 1960s: “There is something different here. You look at those protests and that was a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets peacefully protesting…that didn’t exist back in the 1960s…There is a change in mindset that’s taking place, a greater recognition, that we can do better.”
Obama didn’t directly criticize anyone during the event, but he closed with a veiled message to those Americans who have criticized or are worried about the protests.
“And for those who have been talking about protests, just remember, this country was founded on protest. It is called the American Revolution,” he said. “And every step of progress in this country, every expansion of freedom, every expression of our deepest ideals, has been won through efforts that made the status quo uncomfortable. And we should all be thankful for folks who are willing in a peaceful, disciplined way to be out there making a difference.”
The nation’s first black president closed the speech with a direct call to the mostly young people who have recently taken to the streets: “Keep working. And stay hopeful.”
“This is a moment, and we have had moments like this before where people are paying attention. And that doesn’t mean that everything will get solved, so don’t get disheartened, because this is a marathon, not a sprint. But the fact that people are paying attention provides an opportunity to educate, activate, mobilize and act,” Obama said. “And I hope we are able to seize this moment.”
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Lena Waithe donating $45,000 to protesters on the front lines: “I see you, I hear you, I stand with you”
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Celeb Instagram: Messages from Wanda Sykes, Jazz Jennings, Zachary Quinto, and John Barrowman
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Happy 53rd birthday to Anderson Cooper!
Today is Anderson Cooper’s 53rd birthday.
The busy newsman is juggling coverage of nationwide racial unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic with being a new daddy. He’s on the air each night during these excruciatingly difficult times and is often a voice of sanity.
Here are some photos of the birthday man before and after he became The Silver Fox. 
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Statement by Joe Biden on the 50th Anniversary of Pride Month: “Despite our progress, much work remains”
Today, Jill and I are proud to stand with LGBTQ+ people and their allies in America and around the world to honor and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pride Month.
Fifty years ago, a group of courageous individuals took their first steps towards pride in the Christopher Street Day Liberation March. One year after Stonewall, the world’s first pride march was an act of rebellion, a protest for LGBTQ+ people to be treated as human beings, and a demand that America live up to its founding principles.
We’ve made remarkable progress towards LGBTQ+ rights in the decades since, from Harvey Milk’s historic election to the first openly gay major presidential candidate. During the Obama-Biden Administration alone, we signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law; repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; addressed the epidemic of bullying in schools; established the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality as a foreign policy priority; and the White House beamed bright with the colors of the rainbow to mark the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision recognizing marriage equality.
It took hard work. It took acting up, organizing PFLAG moms, developing student activists, and a tireless persistence that HIV/AIDS be destigmatized and treated. Many paid a personal and a professional price just for being who they are — risking their jobs, livelihoods, and physical well-being. Many still do.
Despite our progress, much work remains.
As our nation grapples with the uncomfortable truths of systemic racism, a devastating pandemic that’s claimed more than 100,000 lives in the United States and left more than 40 million people filing for unemployment, and a President that’s waged an all-out assault on the rights of our most vulnerable, including LGBTQ+ people, we are reminded of why those first brave souls took to the streets to march 50 years ago.
Donald Trump and Mike Pence have systematically used the power of the White House as a literal bully pulpit to undermine LGBTQ+ rights. They have given safe harbor to white supremacists and other forms of hate. Predictably, we’ve experienced a rise in hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people. They rescinded the ability of transgender individuals to openly serve their country in the military, have denied LGBTQ+ people access to critical health care, and are failing to address the epidemic of violence against transgender people. The Trump-Pence Administration has abdicated America’s global leadership on human rights and walked away from our values, repeatedly failing to speak out against the abuses of authoritarian regimes.
This is wrong. We must send a clear message that hatred and bigotry have no place in America or on the world stage. As President, I will take swift action to reverse these odious policies and advance our progress toward ending discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. And I will start by signing into law the Equality Act.
There are dark and challenging realities ahead that we cannot ignore. Yet, I remain optimistic because I believe in who we are as a nation. I believe in the story of this country and the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride has come to be recognized as a global movement of love, self-expression, and community — resilient in the face of oppression and fear and hopeful for a better future. This month, let us recommit to those principles of Pride and remain steadfast in the fight for justice and equality.
Let us celebrate and honor the legacies of Aimee Stephens, Larry Kramer, and Lorena Borjas. Together, we will write a new chapter in America’s march toward justice and win the battle ahead of us this November.
Happy Pride.
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Morning Round-Up: AIDS/LifeCycle; HRC’s Alphonso David; Lea Michele; “Batwoman” & more!
The First-Ever Virtual AIDS/LifeCycle@HOME Begins Amid National Unrest LGBT News Now
LGBTQ Organizations Unite to Combat Racial Violence LGBT News Now
HRC’s Alphonso David: Voting Key to Racial Justice, LGBTQ+ Equality Advocate
CSW unveils plan for virtual Pride, with ‘Parade’ to air live on TV LA Blade
Lea Michele Dropped By HelloFresh After ‘Glee’ Co-Star Samantha Ware’s Accusations Variety
Batwoman is replacing Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane with a new character EW.com
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Wednesday Morning Man: Rafael Nadal!
Today is Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal’s 34th birthday so it’s a perfect time to feature the world’s number two ranked tennis player.
COVID-19 has the tennis tours on hold for now which means Rafa missed out on a chance to add to his already record 12 French Open titles. He has also won the US Open four times, Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open once for a total of 19 grand slam singles titles. Only Roger Federer, who has 20, has won more. He finished 2019 as the oldest year-end World No. 1 in history.
I have a great appreciation for Nadal’s grit and guts and absolute sexiness. He upped the sexy quotient in 2018 by returning to the sleeveless shirts he wore during the early years of his career. What he’s even better is he now pairs the shirts with shorts compared to the capri pants he wore back then.
Best of all, Nadal is a total class act who is gracious and thoughtful in defeat.
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Passionate but peaceful protesters march past Los Angeles LGBT Center – here are my photos
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Ellen DeGeneres speaks out: “People have got away with murder … right now this is not a fair world”
CNN’s Don Lemon shamed a lot of celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, for not speaking out during the initial days of unrest following the killing of George Floyd.
An emotional Ellen is speaking out now in a video: “I haven’t spoken directly because I don’t know what to say. I am so sad, and I am so angry. I know I’m not going to say the right thing, I know there are going to be a lot of people who are in disagreement with what I say, but I have a platform and I have a voice and I have always stood for equality.”
“I’ve always wanted to be the voice for people who felt like they didn’t have a voice, because I know what that feels like,” she added. “And maybe you don’t agree with how it’s coming out, but you have to understand it, and then we can heal it. I’m just so sorry that it’s come to this. I really don’t know what to say other than this has gone on way, way, way too long. People have got away with murder. That’s what’s happening. We’ve got to see fairness and justice for all, because right now this is not a fair world, not at all.”
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Morning Round-Up: Don Lemon; Keith Boykin; George Floyd; Bob the Drag Queen & Peppermint; Armie Hammer & more
Don Lemon’s Voice Has Never Been More Necessary Advocate
NYPD Arrested out CNN Journalist Keith Boykin as He Covered Protest, Held Him for 6 Hours with 35 Others ‘for Doing Nothing’ Towleroad
“Justice for George Floyd” Is the Largest US Change.org Petition in History The WOW Report
Bob the Drag Queen and Peppermint on Why You Should Say Black Lives Matter NewNowNext
Armie Hammer Shares Video of Himself Golfing in the Cayman Islands as He Says World Is ‘Ruled by Chaos’ People
Weekend Tennis Round-Up: Kenneth in the 212
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