News Round-Up: May 2, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk JW says, "Be thankful for the hard times - they can only make you stronger."

• Jake Bain, the Indiana State football player who came out while still in high school, has announced he will "step away from football and focus on academics."

• In anticipation of the upcoming Rocketman, chronicling the life of music superstar Elton John, the producers have released an official music video of the title song sung by film's star, Taron Egerton. The musical fantasy biopic lands in US theaters May 31.

• Out producer/director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon; Riverdale; Supergirl) says the most egregious example of anti-LGBTQ bias he's seen in Hollywood was "gay executives and gay casting people who were the least likely to let me cast an actor they knew was gay in a straight part. These were the individuals who knew how important it would be."

• Far-right loons like Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopolous have been banned from Facebook and Instagram (finally) in an effort to reduce hate speech.

• When Channing Tatum loses, we all win. The 'Magic Mike' star lost a game of Jenga, and so he had to post a photo of girlfriend Jessie J's choosing. She has good taste.

View this post on Instagram

I lost a game of Jenga to Jessica Cornish. The loser (me) had to post a picture the other person (Jessica Cornish) picked... Smh and fml... I’m never playing Jenga with her ever again... 🚿 + 🐰 📸 : @jessiej

A post shared by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) on May 1, 2019 at 1:34pm PDT

Podcast: Midterm Elections Recap, Tanzania, Rock Hudson & Colton Haynes

In this podcast:

• As the close races are finding a victor days later, I break down the midterm elections on how LGBTQ candidates did, as well as how the “Blue Wave” will affect our community.

• The US State Department denounces the hideous human rights violations against LGBTQ people in Tanzania.

• Hollywood legend Rock Hudson is getting a big screen biopic treatment by out super-producer Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon).

• And Colton Haynes surprised fans with a cover of “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman.

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

If you enjoy catching up on LGBTQ news in a quick podcast, I’d appreciate it if you would share The Randy Report with your friends.

I like to think of this podcast as the 60 Minutes of gay news — only shorter :)

Out Producer Greg Berlanti Inks $400 Million TV Deal

Film/TV producer Greg Berlanti
(image via Instagram)

Thanks to a huge new $400 million deal, out producer Greg Berlanti will remain at his TV home, Warner Brothers Television.

Berlanti has signed a four-year contract deal that means he will stay nice and comfy at WB TV through 2024 when he will be a young 51 years-old.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Berlanti's new deal is worth $400 million in all-cash guarantees. Berlanti will receive a cash payout for the deal, meaning he no longer will receive points on the backend of his series.

Berlanti’s immense TV line-up, which features LGBTQ characters throughout, includes 14 live-action scripted series across 6 networks plus 2 animated series airing on a seventh. His current list of ongoing series’ includes:

• The CW's All American, Arrow, Black Lightning, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Riverdale and Supergirl

• NBC's Blindspot

• CBS' God Friended Me and The Red Line

• Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

• DC Universe's digital service's Doom Patrol and Titans

• Lifetime's You

• The CW Seed animated series Freedom Fighters: The Way and Constantine: City of Demons

The deal is exclusively for TV, with Berlanti's film pact remaining at Fox, for whom he directed the coming-out/coming-of-age flick Love, Simon this year.

Berlanti is married to former professional soccer player, Robbie Rogers. The couple has a son, Caleb.

A post shared by Greg Berlanti (@gberlanti) on Feb 14, 2016 at 9:55am PST

The Cast Of "Dawson's Creek" Reunites For 20th Anniversary

Hard to believe it's been 20 years since we met the teens of the WB's LGBT-friendly teen drama Dawson's Creek.

The cast recently reunited for the first time since the series finale in 2003 for Entertainment Weekly.

Those of a certain age remember the series for its daring, often groundbreaking portrayals of gay teens — including a gay kiss between high schoolers Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) and Ethan Brody (Adam Kaufman).

According to then-show runner Greg Berlanti, "the kiss" was a big negotiation between him and the network.

“I had to threaten to quit, basically because they wouldn’t let us have the characters kiss,” Berlanti recently told Indiewire. “At the time, there were shows that were fine to show lots of violence in network, but they wouldn’t allow a kiss between two gay characters. They asked me to run the show that year, and part of my agreement with them was that they would allow the character, Jack, to have a kiss. There was a lot of negotiation about that kiss.”

With so much talk of reboots of iconic series' like Will & Grace and Roseanne, it was inevitable the idea would come up about Dawson's Creek.

“It would have to be a reinvention of sorts,” offered series star James Van Der Beek.

Katie Holmes added, “What I love about this show is that it existed at a time pre-social media, pre-internet, and it was nostalgic when we were shooting it. So I really like it where it is, to be honest.”

“Dawson’s Creek was me expressing myself at that point in time," says series creator Kevin Williamson. "And here I am, at another age, at another point in time. I don’t know what I could emotionally bring to the table. I can’t wait for someone else to do it. I don’t think it’s going to be me. But I’ll be happy to watch it.”

News Round-Up: March 23, 2018

Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy & Beemo

Some news items you might have missed:

• Bonus National Puppy Day pic - Gus Kenworthy's South Korean pup, Beemo, has her own Instagram page and already has 70K followers. Deservedly so, I should add.

• A new study shows 92% of young gay men want to get married.

• Robbie Rogers and director Greg Berlanti bought out two movie theaters so young LGBTQs could see Berlanti's new movie, Love, Simon.

@gberlanti and I have been so emotionally affected by the reactions to @lovesimonmovie that we have decided to buy out two theaters. We’ve partnered with local LGBTQ organizations in Jackson, MS and Louisville, KY. Our hope is that young LGBTQ people in these cities that might not have the opportunity to see @lovesimonmovie now will have the chance. Thank you everyone for supporting such an important beautiful movie! Scroll for more info... #lovesimon #pflag

A post shared by Robbie Rogers (@robbierogers) on Mar 22, 2018 at 8:04pm PDT

• The anti-gay hate group Liberty Counsel has pulled its support for the anti-LGBT bill The First Amendment Defense Act because it's not anti-gay enough.

• Craigslist has shut down its personal ad section after the U.S. Senate passed Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA). Some say shuttering these ads is dangerous for the sex workers it purportedly protects as sex workers advertising online are not soliciting work on the streets, where they are more likely to encounter dangerous situations.

• Comedian Jim Carrey has been sharing his artwork of late relating to the Trump regime, if you will.

The latest shows Donald Trump in flagrante delicto as allegations of sexual relationships with porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal dominate the headlines.

Fifty Shades of Decay pic.twitter.com/aurfm22ru6

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 23, 2018

Out Pro Soccer Player Robbie Rogers Engaged To TV Producer Greg Berlanti

Over the weekend, out pro soccer player Robbie Rogers (currently with the LA Galaxy) announced his engagement to longtime boyfriend Greg Herlanti, writer/producer/director of Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Green Lantern, Everwood, Political Animals, Arrow, The Flash.

Thank you to everyone before us that made this moment possible... I feel extremely lucky and blessed to end 2016 engaged to the love of my life. ❤ Happy New Year!

Thank you to everyone before us that made this moment possible... I feel extremely lucky and blessed to end 2016 engaged to the love of my life. ❤ Happy New Year!

A photo posted by Robbie Rogers (@robbierogers) on Dec 31, 2016 at 11:01am PST

And Berlanti made his own announcement as well:

2016 was memorable for many reasons, for me it as the year my heart doubled in size. First, when my son Caleb was born. And second, a few days ago, when I got engaged to my soulmate ❤️ though I dreamed of both those things happening, i'm not sure I truly believed they were possible. Thanks to the friends and family who helped me find my way to this moment in my blessed life. a happy and healthy 2017 to all.

2016 was memorable for many reasons, for me it as the year my heart doubled in size. First, when my son Caleb was born. And second, a few days ago, when I got engaged to my soulmate ❤️ though I dreamed of both those things happening, i'm not sure I truly believed they were possible. Thanks to the friends and family who helped me find my way to this moment in my blessed life. a happy and healthy 2017 to all.

A photo posted by Greg Berlanti (@gberlanti) on Dec 31, 2016 at 11:08am PST

The couple has been together since 2013.

Trailer: DC's "Legends Of Tomorrow"

DC Comics has released the first official trailer for the upcoming spinoff from Arrow and The Flash - Legends of Tomorrow.

The show will feature not only heroes (Atom, Firestorm, Canary) but villains (Captain Cold, Heatwave). And time-travel will be a big component to the ongoing storyline.

I didn't really see the villains being a part of the "team" but love the idea of seeing more of Wentworth Miller's "Captain Cold." He's brought a lot to The Flash so far, and he's been unpredictable as a character making him very watchable. Oh, and the "easy on the eyes" part doesn't hurt :)

The promo looks promising. You do have to wonder: since producer Greg Berlanti loves to offer crossover story lines, will he give us a tie-in to his new CBS series Supergirl since she's also a DC character? Or will the two worlds exist in separate universes?

First Look at Wentworth Miller as "Captain Cold" on THE FLASH

Regular readers of The Randy Report know I'm a bit of a comic book geek, so I love the latest TV versions of super-heros brought to life.

This week saw the debut of Greg Berlanti's latest TV iteration of superheroes, The Flash. The show is a spin-off of the popular ARROW. What all of these creative explorations of legendary comic book characters have in common is a lot of eye candy along with the "deeper than expected" story lines.

THE FLASH includes the return of out gay actor Wentworth Miller to TV. Miller plays Barry Allen's nemesis Captain Cold.