• Instagram: Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy and company share: "Tired, sore and sunburnt... Welcome to Whine Country!" Team Worthy reached the mid-point of this year's AIDS/LifeCycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. #AllForAGoodCause
• NBC News: A Texas school board unanimously voted to fire a teacher who tried to report undocumented students in her school district to President Donald Trump through a series of public tweets — that she thought were private messages to the president.
• NY Times: The leader of La Luz del Mundo, a church headquartered in Mexico that claims to have more than one million followers worldwide, was charged Tuesday in Los Angeles with more than a dozen sex crimes, including allegations that he forced children to have sex and made them pose naked for photos.
• The Guardian: The White House paid nearly $1 million to rent four limos during Donald Trump's two-day trip to Ireland. Four limos, two days. Seriously.
• The Sun: Pop star George Michael left nothing in his will to his past lovers, Kenny Goss and Fadi Fawaz. His estate's estimated worth is $98 million.
• Gay Star News: Sir Ian McKellen has launched a new program, Pride In Ageing, that will work to end the inequalities faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people over 50 in Greater Manchester and ensure that they have access to inclusive housing and care later in life.
• Netflix, which has nearly doubled the number of LGBTQ characters in their shows and movies over the last 12 months, has launched a collection of queer stories on the streaming service.
The streaming giant also launched a brand new Instagram page @Prism today, to spotlight queer stories, characters and talent.
"Love is the most strong and powerful feeling and I think the LGBTQ+ community has got that locked down.”
Here are 10 holiday songs for your uber-gay Christmas Day.
All of these artists are proudly LGBTQ, and celebrated for their artistry their respective genres.
1. George Michael (back in his Wham! days) delivered unto us this now-required listening holiday pop gem, “Last Christmas,” in 1986.
2. Out country hunk Ty Herndon takes the iconic “O Come All Ye Faithful” into African rhythm territory here, and it totes works.
3. It doesn’t get any more camp than this: the first true bear band, Bearforce1, with their holiday mashup, “Christmas is here!”
4. Two-time Out Music Award winner Matt Zarley covered Mariah Carey’s “Miss You Most At Christmastime” to spectacular result as part of his ‘UnCOVERED’ cover song series.
5. Award-winning cabaret star Ann Hampton Callaway offers this uber-jazzy “Jingle Bells.”
6. Before winning an Emmy Award as an insane murderer on American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Darren Criss’ “Blaine” was singing and dancing the holiday classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in high style with out actor Chris Colfer’s “Kurt” on GLEE.
7. Tony Award winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet) gives you a little bit gospel, a little bit rockabilly on his new cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”
8. Elton John released his “Step Into Christmas” in 1973 and it raced all the way to #1 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart that year.
9. Handsome out smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz shared this cover of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” on his 1997 release, December Makes Me Feel This Way.
10. Bright Light Bright Light gifted us with this synth-pop version of the classic “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
George Michael's former boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, alleges the pop star committed suicide rather than died of natural causes in new statements to the UK publication, The Sun.
According to the newspaper, emails written by Fawaz claim Michael, 53, took his life on Christmas Eve 2016: "I'm sick and tired of people asking me what happened on Christmas Day. Well let me tell you, George died on his mother'sbirthday, so that might answer a few questions. Not to mention it took five attempts to manage to end his life. I think it's important for the story."
Similar claims were made on Fawaz's Twitter account in 2017 although the Fawaz said his account had been hacked at the time.
At the time of Michael's passing, the coroner ruled his death was due to "natural causes and had dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver."
The newspaper reports a spokeswoman for George's estate last night said she had "no trust" in Fadi's claims.
The Sun also notes that the 45-year-old hairdresser is still fighting for a portion of the star's £105million estate. He apparently still lives in Michael's Regent's Park home even though the family has asked him to leave.
Michael's music catalogue surged back up the charts a staggering 2,678% selling almost 500,000 tracks in the week that followed his death.
• The ABC hit TV sitcom Modern Familywill probably come to a close after it's 10th season next year. The LGBT-inclusive series has won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards to date.
• Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen apparently doesn't know if Norway is a predominantly white country. #SRSLY
• Jax Jones recently dropped his latest dance bop, "Breathe," featuring vocals by Ina Wroldsen.
With a catchy chorus, the melodic house track jumped to #6 in just a few weeks on the UK Singles chart. Listen below - bet you bounce.
Check out this excerpt from the documentary George Michael: Freedom where Elton John, James Corden and others discuss the brilliance and beauty of "Praying For Time."
Michael personally worked on the documentary right up through December of last year before his death.
The track is from Michael's iconic Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 which has been re-released as a deluxe set adding in tracks from his MTV Unplugged concert in October 1996.
You can watch George Michael: Freedom on Showtime.
As I reported yesterday, the late George Michael’s mega-hit album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 is set for re-release on October 20 and the documentary George Michael: Freedom will air this Saturday/October 21 at 9pm ET/PT on Showtime.
In celebration of the out artist's body of work, take a look/listen to "Fantasy." a reworked single by George Michael featuring Nile Rodgers currently on A-list rotation on BBC Radio 2.
Featuring a melange of "George Michaels" over the years, the track is exactly what you would expect of the pop superstar.
In celebration of the reissue of the late George Michael’s iconic album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1, Sony Music together with Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide have commissioned George Michael: Freedom, a stunning new film, narrated by George himself.
George Michael: Freedom tells the gripping, dramatic story of the making of Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1, the court case which followed and George’s personal struggle and pain as he loses Anselmo.
You may recall George decided he would not appear on Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1’s album cover or be available to physically promote the album beyond select interviews, but instead gave the label the David Fincher-directed "Freedom! ‘90," which featured five of the most recognizable beauties on the planet, lip-syncing in place of George.
George succeeded in reuniting the Freedom! '90 video’s five supermodels: Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz and Linda Evangelista.
Other contributors include world famous artists such as Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Mary J Blige, Tony Bennett, Nile Rodgers, Kate Moss, Ricky Gervais, Jean-Paul Gaultier and James Corden.
George Michael: Freedom airs in the UK on October 16, and will premiere in the US this Saturday/October 21st at 9pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
Also, a remastered version of George’s amazing 1996 MTV Unplugged performance will also be available as an album for the very first time as part of the Deluxe box set, 2CD and digital editions.
The concert took place in East London on October 11, 1996 and featured George playing ten of his finest songs from the Wham!, Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 (Freedom ’90) and more.
Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 will also be reissued on vinyl.
George Michael Listen Without Prejudice / MTV Unplugged Track listings:
3 CD/1 DVD LIMITED EDITION BOX
CD1 Listen Without Prejudice (Remastered)
1 Praying For Time
2 Freedom! '90
3 They Won't Go When I Go
4 Something To Save
5 Cowboys And Angels
6 Waiting For That Day
7 Mother's Pride
8 Heal The Pain
9 Soul Free
10 Waiting (Reprise)
CD2 MTV Unplugged
1 Freedom! '90
2 Fastlove
3 I Can't Make You Love Me
4 Father Figure
5 You Have Been Loved
6 Everything She Wants
7 Strangest Thing
8 Older
9 Star People
10 Praying For Time
11 Fantasy featuring Nile Rodgers
CD3 B Sides & Rarities
1. Soul Free (Special Radio Edit)
2. Freedom! (Back To Reality Mix)
3. Freedom (Back To Reality Mix Edit)
4. Fantasy 90
5. Freedom (Edit)
6. Cowboys & Angels
7. If You Were My Woman
8. Too Funky (Edit)
9. Crazy Man Dance
10. Do You Really Want To Know
11. Happy
12. Too Funky (Extended)
13. Too Jazzy (Happy Mix)
14. Fantasy 98
15. George Michael with Paul McCartney – Heal The Pain
16. George Michael with Astrud Gilberto – Desafinado
DVD
1. The Southbank Show 1990
2. Freedom! '90 promo
3. Praying For Time promo
4. Freedom 90 MTV 10th Anniversary
2 CD EDITION
CD1 Listen Without Prejudice (Remastered)
1 Praying For Time
2 Freedom! '90
3 They Won't Go When I Go
4 Something To Save
5 Cowboys And Angels
6 Waiting For That Day
7 Mother's Pride
8 Heal The Pain
9 Soul Free
10 Waiting (Reprise)
CD2 MTV Unplugged
1 Freedom! '90
2 Fastlove
3 I Can't Make You Love Me
4 Father Figure
5 You Have Been Loved
6 Everything She Wants
7 Strangest Thing
8 Older
9 Star People
10 Praying For Time
11 Fantasy featuring Nile Rodgers
Listen Without Prejudice - Vinyl
SIDE A
1 Praying For Time
2 Freedom! '90
3 They Won't Go When I Go
4 Something To Save
5 Cowboys And Angels
SIDE B
1 Waiting for That Day
2 Mothers Pride
3 Heal The Pain
4 Soul Free
5 Waiting (Reprise)
George Michael: Freedom will cover the singer’s entire career, but will focus particularly on the tumultuous period leading up to and following the release of his sophomore album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Michael felt huge pressure to match the stratospheric success of his 1987 solo debut, Faith, which eventually earned a diamond certification in the United States and produced six top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Listen Without Prejudice underperformed, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and barely selling 2 million copies in the United States, which led Michael to sue Sony Music for allegedly failing to promote his album adequately.
Filmed before Michael's untimely death on Dec. 25, 2016, the documentary features narration from the pop star and gives viewers a look into his personal life, including the death of his partner Anselmo Feleppa. It also includes archival and private home footage from his reclusive period in the early 1990s, just a few years after becoming one of the biggest artists in the world.
The film includes interviews with his famous friends - Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Cindy Crawford, Ricky Gervais, and more.
Premieres Saturday, October 21st at 9pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
James Corden, fresh from the holidays, takes time to honor music icon George Michael, who passed away recently.
In addition to Michael's music, Corden acknowledges the iconic singer's 2011 participation in the birth of a comedy skit that what would evolve into Corden's now uber-popular "Carpool Karaoke" segments.
Behind the headlines and huge on-stage persona, George Michael was a generous man who kept quiet about his considerable charitable donations, it has emerged. The star donated all the royalties from his 1996 number one single Jesus To A Child to charity, and is said to have given a gameshow contestant thousands of pounds to fund her IVF treatment.
Michael has helped countless children as a result of his donations to Childline, the charity’s founder and president Dame Esther Rantzen said. “For years now he has been the most extraordinarily generous philanthropist, giving money to Childline, but he was determined not to make his generosity public so no-one outside the charity knew how much he gave to the nation’s most vulnerable children,” she told the Press Association.
“Over the years he gave us millions and we were planning next year, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations to create, we hoped, a big concert in tribute to him — to his artistry, to his wonderful musicality but also to thank him for the 100s of 1,000s of children he helped through supporting Childline.”
Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained counsellors are here to support you.
Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us on the phone, by email or through 1-2-1 counsellor chat. Whatever feels best for you.
Our counsellors are trained staff and volunteers. All sorts of people become Childline counsellors. They could be 16 or 60. They could be gay or straight – or anywhere in between. They come from lots of different backgrounds and places.
What they all have in common is they want to help young people.
They're real people who want to support you with any issue you’re facing. They're trained but they don't follow a script.
Singer George Michael is on the mend after being admitted to Vienna's AKH hospital last week, forcing him to postpone the remaining dates of his European tour.
Doctors treating the recording star have since issued a statement to update fans on Michael's condition, saying that while he remains hospitalized, his health is "improving".
Professors Gottfried Locker and Christoph Zielinski said: "The latest development in Mr Michael's case, which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection, necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension.
"We are happy to announce that Mr Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped."
Upon news of his hospitalization, the internet was rife with innuendo that his pneumonia was HIV related. The doctors treating George Michael seemed to address those rumors in their statement.
"There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken," they said.
"Michael is receiving precisely the same treatment as any ordinary patient in Austria would receive at the hospital for this disease."
He is reportedly in intensive care as a result of heart problems believed to be caused by the shortage of oxygen caused by his pneumonia.
Head doctor from the nearby Otto Wagner Hospital, Norbert Vetter, said that the reason a person with a lung problem was being treated in the cardiac unit probably lay in the fact that if there was a lung problem - and not enough oxygen being taken into the body - then that could affect the heart especially if the heart had already been damaged in some way. He added in the worst case the heart could cease to function.
A spokesman from his management would only confirm that his condition is "bad."
UPDATE 11/27/11: George Michael's partner, Fadi Fawaz, who is keeping a bedside vigil, said George is not going to die and is getting better by the day. “He is improving every day."
“There is nothing to be concerned about. He is doing fine. We are very happy. He is doing extremely well and coming back from everything. We are very pleased. All I can say is he is really improving, everything is going right. He is doing very well.”
