James Gandolfini dead at 51

TMZ is reporting that 3-time Emmy Award winner James Gandolfini, of The Sopranos fame - reportedly died earlier today in Italy.

Gandolfini is believed to have suffered a heart attack. He was 51.

Gandolfini, in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, was scheduled to participate in a festival event this weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino.

Gandolfini shot to fame playing a hitman in the 1993 hit "True Romance" ... and quickly became a Hollywood legend when he was cast as Tony Soprano in 1999.

He won 3 Emmy awards for the role during the show's 6 season run.

His many films include "Get Shorty," "The Mexican" and "Zero Dark Thirty."

Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, who gave birth to the couple's daughter in October 2012. He also has a teenage son from a previous marriage.

(via TMZ)

Cher says she's "disappointed" Lady Gaga doesn't like their duet

A fan asked Cher on Twitter about her recorded duet with Lady Gaga - “The Greatest Thing,” saying fans have been waiting a long time.

Cher tweeted, “U Think You’ve Waited? It’s done & she doesn’t like it, or want it to come out.”

Cher brought up her concerns on The Voice last night, saying: ”I did a song with Gaga and I think it’s brilliant and I thought her performance was great but she doesn’t like it.”

Is Cher respecting Gaga's artistic feelings? Or mocking her?

Can't tell...

(source)

GOP Congressman Gingrey suggests classes for young children to teach gender roles

So NOW the Republicans, who say sex education belongs at home, want to teach elementary school students who and what a "daddy" is and who a "mommy" is?

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) suggested Tuesday that young boys and girls should be enrolled in classes to educate them on gender roles so that they can learn "what's important."

Talk about indoctrination....

Here's the transcript:

"Maybe part of the problem is we need to go back into the schools at a very early age, maybe at the grade school level, and have a class for the young girls and have a class for the young boys and say, you know, this is what's important," Gingrey said on the House floor, while defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

"This is what a father does that is may be a little different, maybe -- maybe a little different, maybe a little better than the talent that mom has in a certain area and same things for the young girls, you know, this is what a mom does and this is what's important from the standpoint of that union. Which we call marriage. And we have called that since the beginning of this country and long before the beginning of this country."

You may recall that Gingrey, who is a medical doctor, said earlier this year that former Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin was “partly right” when he made his infamous "legitimate rape" comment.

(source)

NYC: Mark Carson's alleged killer bragged to cops minutes after shooting

Elliot Morales, the suspect in the murder of Mark Carson in New York City, bragged about the shooting to cops afterwards.

In court documents released today, Morales told cops who caught him minutes after the May 17 shooting in Greenwich Village, “Gay thought he was tough in front of his bitch, so I shot him. Diagnosis is dead, doctor.”

Morales was arraigned on charges of second degree murder as a hate crime, menacing a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon.

The murder of Carson was the end of a violent night in Greenwich Village that began with Morales threatened a restaurant worker with a gun while shouting anti-gay epithets. He then came across Carson and a friend, and shouted gay slurs at them, asking, “what are you, a gay wrestler?” Morales then allegedly followed Carson and shot him in the cheek, killing him.

Morales seemed anything but remorseful for killing Carson, according to the court documents. “He thought he was tough, and I shot him. It’s the last thing he’ll remember,” he told police.

(source)

President Obama mentions LGBT rights in G8 speech in Berlin

At the 14:18 mark:

"When we stand up for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and treat their love and their rights equally under the law, we defend our own liberty as well.

"We are more free when all people can pursue their own happiness. And as long as walls exist in our hearts to separate us from those who don’t look like us, or think like us, or worship as we do, then we're going to have to work harder, together, to bring those walls of division down." - President Obama, speaking at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate today during the G8 Summit.

Robbie Rogers talks to MTV about coming out

Robbie Rogers recently visited the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, where he chatted with MTV Act  about his decision to come out publicly.

Hearing homophobic rantings when he was young, not directed towards him, made coming out seem like something he’d never do. However, after he told his family last October via Skype, he describes coming out as “the best feeling” he’s ever had.

“Now for the first time in my life, everything’s normal”

Rogers also talked about activism, saying that everyone has reached out to him to tie his name to different charities. He said he “wanted to do something that is bigger than homophobia and bigger than sports.”

With his new motivational campaign, Beyond It, Rogers plans to move “beyond” stereotypes in homophobia, sexism, disabilities, and racism. Beyond It will launch at the end of July.

The athlete also shared that he thinks opponents of marriage equality and allowing openly gay men to serve as leaders in the Boy Scouts will soon be embarrassed about their opinions. Watch him discuss below.

Get More:
MTV Shows

(via Queerty)

Porterville City Council considers rescinding LGBT Pride month resolution

Porterville City Council, in California, received negative backlash back in 2009 after it passed a resolution publicly backing anti-gay Prop 8.

Porterville is back in the news again as some of the City Council members want to rescind an LGBT Pride proclamation made by the city's mayor, Virginia Gurrola.

According to ABC30, "several council members want the proclamation rescinded and a resolution be voted on instead, calling June a month of community charity and goodwill to all in Porterville."

On top of wanting June being "rescinded" as Gay Pride Month, they want July celebrated as "Heterosexual Month."  SRSLY.

Watch below:



(via Towleroad)

Las Vegas: Jim Caruso's CAST PARTY at the Smith Center tonight

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night.

It’s a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Broadway and showbiz superstars often show up and hit the stage unannounced alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.

Since opening night in 2003, it’s been the ultimate spot to mix and mingle with Manhattan show folk and their fans. Caruso guides the entire affair like a bubbly cruise director along with musical director Billy Stritch at the ivories,

It’s the party that would happen if somehow David Letterman and Ed Sullivan threw a hip house party around a nine-foot concert grand piano!

Last fall, Caruso and Stritch brought the event to town and folks like Donny Osmond, Frankie Moreno, Clint Holmes, performers from JERSEY BOYS,  PHANTOM, VEGAS THE SHOW all showed up to sing the party on.

And tonight, Cast Party comes to Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center at 9:30 p.m.  (tickets are $20 and $30 and available on the Smith Center website ).

Come on down, grab a cocktail and enjoy the show. You NEVER know who's going to show up!

Python can open doors

Horrified! Oh. Mah. Gawd.

Am I the only one who's nervous watching this?

The videos, which star a 16-foot albino burmese python, was uploaded two years ago by Vimeo user Jenner. However, the snake, named "Julius," is the latest pet to experience Internet fame. 

According to Jenner, when the snake is tired of being in a dark room, "she flips on the light, opens the door and bails."

"This is why we keep doors locked with her around. We don't need her harassing the neighbors," add Jenner in the video description.

Clearly the kids aren't afraid.  So maybe the fear is only mine.  




(via Mashable)

Moving video shows how anti-gay DOMA pulls families apart - Tim and Jamie

Tim and Jamie been together since August 2006.

But in June 2009 they had their experience with how their international relationship would be tested: Jamie, a native of Scotland, was detained at SeaTac Airport due to visa problems and was denied the right to call Tim. He was sent back to Scotland the next day after Tim waited for hours in the airport without a chance to see him.

They married in June 2012.

Currently, Jamie and Tim's marriage in Canada is not recognized legally in the United States because of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Because they cannot be together in the USA, they are considering moving to South America so they can live together as legal spouses.

This is why the Supreme Court decision on DOMA is so vitally important for families like Tim and Jamie.

Holding strong to the hope that DOMA is struck down in the next week.