Exciting News Here At The Randy Report

I can't believe I'm actually writing this!

After over 8 years of hosting The Randy Report on Blogger.com, I've finally launched the blog at my own domain, TheRandyReport.com.

I've been meaning to do this for years but never made the time. Thank you to everyone who has followed me here since 2011.

Please bookmark the new site - www.TheRandyReport.com - and visit me there (often, I hope). 

You can also follow me on my award-winning podcast, The Randy Report, here.

In addition to being a more sleek, modern style, the new website loads and functions much faster.

Here's a sample of what you'll find.

All of my previous content has been copied over to the new site, but I plan on leaving this version of TRR here on Blogger as an archive because, you know, just in case...

There will be some kinks to work out as I get used to the workflow, but I'm excited about this next chapter for The Randy Report.

#Forward

Podcast: Tyson Beckford, Will & Grace, The Amazing Race And More

Who wants to hear me talk on this week’s headlines?

• NBC, having already given the green light to the Will & Grace reboot, wants even more
• I’ve got a favorite on this season’s The Amazing Race, and I bet you will, too
• New Mexico says “no” to so-called ex-gay therapy
• Nebraska finally scrubs it's anti-LGBT adoption stance
• International supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford talks with me about his residency in Las Vegas as the Celebrity Guest Host for the world famous Chippendales.

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report. Hit the play button below :)

Podcast: Jeb Havens, Barronelle Stutzman, Texas' "Bathroom Bill," Finland Ready For Marriage Equality

Click play below as I recap this week's top headlines from politics, pop culture and entertainment of interest to the LGBT community:

• Anti-LGBT florist Barronelle Stutzman loses again - this time in the Washington state supreme court over refusing to sell flowers for a same-sex wedding

• Texas gets pushback from the NBA and major stars on it’s proposed anti-transgender “bathroom bill”

• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper shares his plan to repeal his state's anti-LGBT law, HB2

• Finland’s Parliament kills a last ditch attempt to block same-sex marriage

• Out singer/songwriter Jeb Havens dropped his uber-romantical, world-traveler music video just in time for Valentine's Day - "Pushy Little Compass Heart" from his album, Home Base

Hit play below - and share the link to share The Randy Report podcast!

Podcast: This Week In LGBT News - Eli Lieb, Laverne Cox & Transgender Protections

Check out this week's episode of The Randy Report on BlogTalkRadio as I recap these LGBT headlines:

• Florida pro-LGBT bakery Cut The Cake prevails in court after haters demand anti-gay messaged cake

• Trump administration pulls back on transgender protections - a sign of things to come?

• Tennessee state lawmakers file new legislation aimed at ignoring the Supreme Court's rulling on same-sex marriage

• Don't miss next week's premiere of Doubt next week on CBS featuring Laverne Cox as the first transgender series regular on broadcast television

• New music from uber-talented out singer/songwriter Eli Lieb - "Castles"

You can subscribe to The Randy Report on iTunes for free here.

Podcast: The Week In LGBT News - AGT's Brian Justin Crum; Recapping LGBT Legislation

My weekly podcast recaps the past week's most compelling pop culture, political and entertainment news of interest to the LGBT community.

On this week's show:

• America's Got Talent's Brian Justin Crum drops his first single since the TV talent competition - "Show Me Love" featuring Toy Armada and DJ Grind. Find it here on iTunes.

• Conservative Wyoming legislators withdraw anti-LGBT legislation House Bill 135

• North Carolina's Republican state Senate Leader says his state's hateful "bathroom bill" - HB2 - isn't going away any time soon

• Woofy Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims introduced a bill that would outlaw so-called "conversion" or "ex-gay" therapy

• How would the repeal of the Affordable Care Act affect LGBTs?

• Republicans in Congress plan to re-introduce the "First Amendment Defense Act" which would allow anti-LGBT folks to discriminate same-sex couples

• President Trump has a bumpy week as his administration proposes a 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for "The Wall," and his immigration plans cause protests across the country

You can click here to subscribe to The Randy Report podcast for free from iTunes.

Click below to listen to this week's show:

Podcast: Troye Sivan, Anti-LGBT Legislation In Wyoming & Texas, Trump Inauguration And LGBTs Scrubbed From White House Website

Take a listen to the latest The Randy Report podcast, including these stories and more:

• Minutes after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, all information regarding LGBTs disappeared from the White House website. Hmm....

• Attendance at Donald Trump's inaugural was dwarfed by the Women's March on Washington the next day as hundreds of thousands marched in support for not only women's rights but LGBT rights, civil rights, voting rights and more. And the Trumpster was not happy.

• The Texas state Supreme Court has agreed to hear an anti-LGBT hate group's challenge to spousal benefits for same-sex couples.

• New legislation introduced in Wyoming ("The Equality State") would legalize discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender people, and would make it impossible for any branch or part of the government to enact or enforce local non-discrimination ordinances and federal protections for the LGBT community.

• Out Music: Troye Sivan released his video for “Heaven,” from his Blue Neighbourhood album - a sensual black & white vision featuring intimate shots of Sivan along side clips of important moments in the LGBTQ rights movement.

Radio Show: Today In LGBT News - President Obama's LGBT Legacy, WILL & GRACE Is Officially Coming Back To NBC

On this mid-week episode of The Randy Report:

• President Obama, speaking at his final news conference with the White House press corps, spoke about the progress of LGBT rights and protections under his administration. While he acknowledged his team was proud of the movement forward, he gave props to all the out and proud Americans who, through their sheer visibility, helped to bring about a huge change in the way society views LGBTs.

"I think we made useful contributions... but the primary heroes are the activists."

• President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Education Secretary, billionaire Betsy DeVos, was directly questioned about her past support for anti-LGBT organizations, and especially so-called "ex-gay" therapy.

• And it's finally official - the hit TV show that many say helped give much exposure and visibility to the LGBT community, Will & Grace, is coming back to NBC for a 10 episode season next year.

This Week In LGBT News - Will & Grace, Aston, & Daddy The Movie

Kick back and listen in as I recap several of the top LGBT stories of the week including:

• Pansexual music artist Aston dropped her new dance single "Circles" this week

• Update to the tragic story of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University freshman who committed suicide after cyber bullying by his college roommate.

• HIV history gets a rewrite as the myth of "Patient Zero" is debunked

• The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an important transgender rights case

• Rumors swirl about a possible Will & Grace reboot, plus Sean Hayes apologizes to LGBT community for not coming out sooner

• Randy's interview with hunky Bear City / DADDY film star Gerald McCullouch

And much more!

Radio Show: This Week In LGBT News

Dancing With The Stars champ Nyle DiMarco

Take a listen to my latest radio show episode, hosted on BlogTalkRadio, which aired today.

Episode synopsis:

Join Randy as he wraps up the latest in LGBT news from the worlds of entertainment, music, politics and sports.

• Three time Olympic medalist Danell Leyva is not only a double-silver medal winner but an ardent equal rights activist ally

• Hottie Nick Jonas talked about criticism he received for playing a gay MMA fighter on "Kingdom"

• "American Idol" alum/out musician David Hernandez drops his new single and music video "Beautiful"

• "America's Next Top Model" & "Dancing With The Stars" champ Nyle DiMarco announced as next 'Celebrity Guest Host' for the world-famous Chippendales

• E! Network cancels "I Am Cait" after only two seasons

• A new study shows homophobic men are possibly just hiding their own latent homosexuality

Tune in as Randy covers these stories and more.

Hit the play button below to listen.

3-time Olympic medalist Danell Leyva

Nick Jonas

Caitlyn Jenner

Radio Show: Recapping The Political Conventions With Aaron Baldwin

Take a listen to my latest online radio show, aptly named The Randy Report, hosted on BlogTalkRadio.

Political activist Aaron Baldwin joined me to look back on the highs and lows of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

The hits, the misses, the winners and losers.

Who gave the best speech? Who dropped the ball on an opportunity? Which party scored better among voters?

Did the upbeat message of the Democrats resonate with voters more than the darker tone of the Republicans?

What did the polls say in the aftermath of both conventions? Will Hillary get a post-convention bounce?

What's next in this very unusual presidential race?

Aaron Baldwin is my go-to political smart guy, so hit the play button below and see what Aaron thinks.

Radio Show: Talking Day One Of 2016 Republican National Convention

Check out my latest radio show episode from BlogTalkRadio:

Last night marked the kickoff of the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Speakers included 80s actors Scott Baio and Antonio Sabato Jr., former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and many more.

Plus, Melania Trump spoke - with some controversy - about her husband, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. Comparisons with Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention speech in 2008 show many similarities.

I have my opinion about what happened, and I'd love to hear yours.

Radio Show: Political Activist Aaron Baldwin On The Current Presidential Campaigns

Check out my latest radio show on BlogTalkRadio:

Aaron Baldwin, San Francisco based LGBT/political activist, joins Randy to talk about the current state of the 2016 presidential campaigns and more.

While Donald Trump has the GOP nomination in hand, there are a few state primaries left for the Democrats including delegate-rich California and New Jersey on June 7th.

Currently leading in the polls for those states, when will Hillary Clinton finally close out the Democratic nomination?

What new twist will Donald Trump throw in the mix?

Aaron doesn't hold back when sharing what he thinks, so tune in to hear his thoughts on this unpredictable presidential race.

Hit play below, or you can click the download button and listen when convenient. You can also download for free via iTunes.

Radio Show: LGBT Activist Aaron Baldwin Talks Presidential Primaries

Check out my latest BlogTalkRadio episode with San Francisco based LGBT activist Aaron Baldwin, who joins me to talk about the current state of the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns.

With the Ohio, Florida, Illinois and North Carolina primaries coming up on Tuesday, and the past Michigan/Mississippi primaries behind us, there's a lot to talk out.

Will Marco Rubio win his home state of Florida? Will John Kasich win his home state of Ohio?

What new twist will Donald Trump throw in the mix?

Hit play below to hear what Aaron thinks of this unpredictable election season.

Don't Forget The Randy Report Radio Show!

Just a friendly reminder that I recently launched a companion online radio show for The Randy Report where I cover many of the same issues (pop culture, politics and entertainment) as I do here daily on the blog.

The shows are archived immediately after I end an episode, so you don't have to listen live  - although it's fun to interact with callers during the show :)

Plus, you can download episodes for free via iTunes' Podcast section.

Below is a handy-dandy player that allows you to check out some of my recent shows.

Radio Show: Internet Sensation Brandon Skeie Drops New Single "So Bad"

Brandon Skeie releases his new single "So Bad"

I really enjoyed talking with internet music sensation Brandon Skeie last night on my online radio show, The Randy Report.

Brandon Skeie (SHAY-AH) is an LA based singer-songwriter/artist with a strong presence among the industry’s creative community.

At the age of 22, Brandon Skeie has been featured in Billboard, Ryan Seacrest and MTV, over 3M SoundCloud plays, an active online fan base of 350K+ followers, a 15 week synch on E! and more.

After developing a huge following on his YouTube channel (almost 9 million views) including his spectacular cover versions of songs like Adele's "Hello," Brandon is poised for a strong 2016 with the release of original music, beginning with his new single "So Bad".

I spoke with Brandon about his creative process in the recording studio, his amazing vocal range, and how he views being an out musician in today's musical landscape.

I'm a fan of the new song, so I asked about where the inspiration for the song came from. Brandon's response:

Basically, "So Bad" is based on a previous relationship of mine. I had met a person. It was actually my first love, which made it a little bit more interesting. I was deeply, deeply in love with this person, but around six, seven months into the relationship, it just became evident that love wasn't enough.

We had many, many differences. We didn't get along a lot of the time. It just created this feeling like, "Man, I just want you so bad all the time, but I can't." It's just you falling so in love with somebody or the idea of somebody, and then you really get to know them, your personalities clash, and there's nothing you can do, except for that feeling that lingers. Wanting somebody so bad, but knowing it's not the right time or the right place.

That's basically the full inspiration behind it. The same situation actually was going on with my co-writer Hillary Bernstein at the same time. Both of us were going through this really rough relationship period and just came up with this concept. It just flew out of us really quickly.

After listening to the show below, make sure you check out Brandon's new single "So Bad" here.

You can follow Brandon on Instagram here, Facebook here, and Twitter here.

Brandon Skeie

Radio Show: The Week In Review

Check out my latest radio show where I recap the past week's important news stories regarding entertainment, pop culture and politics of interest to the LGBT community.

From the constantly shifting GOP clown car to the most recent polls watching the upcoming Iowa and New Hampshire contests.

I talk on the current Donald Trump/Ted Cruz rivalry, and Jeb Bush attacking his former protege Marco Rubio.

Plus, thoughts on the recently announced Oscar nominations, the passing of rock music legend David Bowie, and my "Favorite Thing Today."

It's always a circus, so bring your popcorn!

Announcing "The Randy Report Radio Show"

After months of thinking and postponing and more postponing, I finally launched the companion podcast to The Randy Report this week.

Many readers here know that for years I co-hosted an online radio show, The Candi & Randy Show, with my fab friend Candi Fox.

It was a fun, enriching experience where Candi and I laughed together, and also explored a lot of topics I'd never thought about. Along the way we racked up over 500,000 targeted listeners.

But after two and a half years, I found my calendar was booking up with lots of theater projects that I was really looking forward to working on, and plus, I found I was a bit out of ideas. I stepped away thinking that at sometime in the future I might see myself sitting down at a microphone again.

So, Monday night I debuted the first episode of The Randy Report (the radio show) on BlogTalkRadio. I hope many of you will click over to the show page there and click "Follow" so you can be notified of upcoming episodes.

The first show featured two interviews - one with Lee Roy Reams, who is currently starring in Hello, Dolly! in Boca Raton, Florida (the first American male actor to play the title role); and the second with award-winning singer/songwriter Matt Zarley discussing his acclaimed musical short film "hopefulROMANTIC."

I refer to the radio show as a "companion" piece to the blog here as I hope to explore via talk radio many of the stories and issues I bring up here on a a daily basis.

I'm still working on some details - one of which being exactly when I'll air shows live. But the great thing about BlogTalkRadio is every show is available for free on-demand listening within a few minutes of a show airing. So, whether you join me and my guests live or catch up later on your own schedule, you can be a part of the ever-expanding Randy Report experience :)

Really hoping you hit play and listen below. And I'd love if you would call in live some time. I'd love to hear from readers :)

Follow The Randy Report On Facebook & Twitter

As I head to today's sunset Chardonnay, just a quick request to ask you shiny, happy people to please follow The Randy Report on Facebook and Twitter :)

And, please remember it's always fab that if you like something on The Randy Report, please hit the SHARE links below and spread the Randy goodness.

Cheers, kids!