LA News Anchor's Death Ruled Drug Overdose During Hookup Gone Bad

Chris Burrous

A Los Angeles news anchor, found dead on December 27, 2018, in a Days Inn motel, died of methamphetamine toxicity according to the coroner.

The Los Angeles Times reports that KTLA anchor Chris Burrous met with another man after connecting on the gay hook up app, Grindr.

The other man, whom the 43-year-old journalist had met on several occasions, called for medical attention when Burrous reportedly put at least two meth ‘rocks’ in his anus during the hookup. He soon passed out and became unresponsive.

Both the man and paramedics attempted CPR but to no avail. Burrous was declared dead at a hospital.

The coroner indicated in his report that hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease played a part in Burrous’ death.

According to Variety, the drug GHB was also found in the hotel room, but not in Burrous’ system. The other man was not charged with any crime.

After spending several years hosting Good Morning Sacramento, Burrous relocated to Los Angeles taking on weekend anchoring duties for the KTLA Morning News.

Burrous is survived by his wife and a nine-year-old daughter.

Report: 46% Of LGBTQ Folks Stay Closeted At Work

In a new survey of 1,615 straight and gay workers by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 46% of LGBTQ employees stay closeted in the workplace because they are afraid of being stereotyped, damaging business relationships or making folks feel ‘uncomfortable.’

That’s a drop of only 4 points from 50% ten years when the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Degrees of Equality report was issued in 2008.

Of the straight respondents, half said there aren’t any LGBTQ employees at their place of employment.

According to The Wall Street Journal, over half of Fortune 500 businesses now have an executive tasked with addressing inclusivity and diversity at their company.

Even so, one in five LGBTQ employees say they’ve been told to dress in a more ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ manner.

Fifty-three percent of LGBTQ workers say they hear gay/lesbian jokes occasionally at work.

The number one reason why LGBTQ employees don’t say anything about negative comments about gay folks is they don’t believe the issue will be addressed and they don’t want to injure relationships with coworkers.

The new report by the HRC Foundation looks to "uncover the prevalence of LGBTQ workers feeling pressure to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity on the job and the cost of that hiding both to individuals and employers."

You can download a PDF of the report, titled A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide, by clicking here.

When Rosie's Audience "Reacted" To An Actor Playing A Gay Role On TV

Kenneth-in-the-212 totally took me back with this 1999 appearance by Billy Campbell on Rosie O'Donnell's then-venerable daytime talk show where the crowd actually gave a negative reaction when Campbell mentioned having played a gay role on television.

During the chat, Rosie asked about earlier TV credits and Campbell mentioned that he had appeared in episodes of the 80s TV drama, Dynasty, as a leading character's boyfriend.

The crowd clearly reacted in such a negative way that Campbell turned to the live audience to say, "Lighten up, people, it's the 90s."

Kenneth shares in his post his own memory of Kate Jackson promoting the early 80s feature film Making Love which chronicled a married man's coming out story. I vividly remember seeing the film when it came out and I had not.

Kenneth recalls The Tonight Show audience having a similar negative reaction that night.

As Kenneth writes, "I learned right then and there that I should be ashamed of myself -- and went from being an outgoing kid to a painfully self-conscious teenager and young man."

You can watch the Billy Campbell/Rosie O'Donnell clip below.

It may seem like a small thing here, but I clearly remember the subliminal messages these kinds of moments sent me as a young person: "'Gay' is bad. People won't like you if you are 'gay.'"

Glad it's possible to grow past those experiences.

#Forward

Colton Haynes Shares Losing His Virginity At 13 Plus His Hollywood "Tab Hunter" Situation

Andy Cohen (L) interviews Colton Haynes (R)
(image via Instagram)

Speaking to Andy Cohen on SiriusXM's "Radio Andy," Arrow/Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes candidly shared personal details about his dating life including losing his virginity at the age of 13 to both a girl and a guy, albeit separately, and being set up on fake dates in Hollywood to hide his sexuality.

• “I lost my virginity at 13 to a girl and a guy. I’ve never said that before. The girl was two years older than me, and the guy was, I would say, around 16. Everyone participated. It was a real first time. It was exciting.”

• “I was literally told from the day that I moved to Los Angeles that I could not be gay because I wouldn’t work. Then I was with my management team and a team of people that just literally told me I couldn’t be this way. They tried to set me up with girls. I was rumored to date Lauren Conrad (of The Hills) for six months because they were kind of angling a story. And then I dated every other young person which of course I didn’t date.”

Haynes said his "dates" all understood what was going on. “They knew the whole time. It was like a Tab Hunter situation.”

Watch below:

Reddit User Shares His Closeted Father's Gay Anthem "I Dreamed A Dream"

Reddit user TheBrotherOfTyler recently shared his slow, heartbreaking realization that his Mormon father, who eventually divorced and died of a drug overdose, lived most of his life secretly closeted.

When I was a kid, it was not uncommon to find my mom playing the piano at our house and my dad standing next to her signing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. He would modify the words of the song to sing it from a straight male perspective rather than a straight female perspective, which is how it's sung in the play/movie (i.e., he changed it to "she slept a summer by my side" from "he slept a summer by my side").

When I was 14, my parents separated, and a short time later I put the pieces together and figured out my dad was gay. My dad died just over a year later from a drug overdose.

Fast forward 10 years or so, and I hear the song for the first time in a long time. As I was listening to the song all of the sudden a feeling came over me (it must have been the spirit) and I realized why my dad loved the song so much. It truly expressed how he felt as a straight LDS man living secretly as a gay man. It was touching and heartbreaking at the same time. It made me feel a tremendous amount of love for him. And it made me sad that he had to switch the lyrics to continue hiding his true self.

Here are some of the lyrics:

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

I hadn't heard the recording of "I Dreamed A Dream" from the original London production of Les Miserables in years. I'd forgotten how tender Patti LuPone began the song.

(h/t Queerty)

Matt Baume On Matt Damon's Statement That Actors Should Keep Sexuality Secret

Matt Damon, while promoting his new movie The Martian made mention to The Guardian of how he sees the effect of coming out on the careers of gay actors:

“I think it must be really hard for actors to be out publicly,” he continues. “But in terms of actors, I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”

Matt Baume has his own take on those comments:

Matt Damon told an interviewer this week that actors should keep their sexuality secret whether straight or gay, which is a little hypocritical considering he's an open book when it comes to his heterosexuality.

I don't think he's a homophobe, but imposing a double standard on gay actors is just wrong.

Trailer: "Tab Hunter Confidential"

From the movie's official website:

Throughout the 1950s, Tab Hunter reigned as Hollywood’s ultimate male heartthrob. In dozens of films – and in the pages of countless movie magazines – Tab’s astonishing looks and golden-boy sex appeal drove his fans to screaming, delirious frenzy, making him the prototype for all young matinee idols to come.

Bristling against being just another pretty face and wanting to be taken seriously, Tab was one of the few to be able to transcend pin-up boy status. He earned his stripes as an actor to become a major movie star and recording artist.

But throughout his years of stardom, Tab had a secret. Tab Hunter was gay, and spent his Hollywood years in a precarious closet that repeatedly threatened to implode and destroy him. Now, Tab’s dramatic, turbulent and ultimately inspiring life story has become an explosive documentary feature directed by Emmy award winning filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz.

In theaters mid-October 2015.

Openly Jake Takes On Closeted Right-Wing Ministers' Hypocrisy

Jake takes on the issue of gay closeted ministers with the story of Reverend Matthew Makela, who was discovered on Grindr looking for sex while publicly telling young gay men they would burn in hell.

It's an age old story, no?

It's Friday! Time For One More Aaron Schock Debacle

Blue Nation Review reports on Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock's sale of his home to a political donor for much more than the home was estimated to be worth.

Ruh-roh.

The month before the 2012 elections, Congressman Schock sold his house to a major Republican donor who was also one of his campaign supporters for a price that appears to far exceed the market value at the time.

Ali Bahaj – then a Vice President at Caterpillar – and his wife Gloria have donated more than $45,000 over the last decade to the Caterpillar PAC and various Republican officeholders – including Congressman Schock.

In fact, Federal Election Commission records show that Mr. and Mrs. Bahaj each made the maximum allowable donation to Aaron Schock’s campaign in 2008.

Congressman Schock on October 16, 2012 sold his home to the Bahajs for $925,000.

Zillow estimates that the house was worth approximately $695,000 that month. It’s possible Congressman Schock just got incredibly lucky finding the right buyer to throw him a life raft as homeowners around him were drowning.

But it begs the question: Was this transaction more than just luck?

Blue Nation Review found several nearby comparable homes that never got near that price range.

Well, things happen. I can attest that I got lucky when I sold my home in LA in 2004. I sold near the very top of the market then. Of course, I didn't happen to sell to a political donor of mine. (p.s. I don't have any political donors...)

According to Zillow, Schock sold his home at just about the rock bottom of the Peoria real estate market:

If Schock had sold to a stranger for a higher than average price, it might have been one thing. But, it seems that Congressman Schock sold his home at what appears to be an inflated price to a political donor.

First, "OfficeGate."

Then, racist top aide calls African-Americans zoo animals.

Now, this.

Happy Friday, Aaron Schock. I'll bet no one wanted to end the week more than you.

Good thing you've got your health.

Totally not gay Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois

Rep. Aaron Schock Says He's Never Seen "Downton Abbey"

Congressman Aaron Schock interviewed by ABC News' Jeff Zeleny

A few days ago I reported on the "Downton Abbey" themed congressional office of GOP Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois.

At the time, it was a bit of a light-hearted story as gay rumors have followed the congressman for years. So, having a bright red, "Downton Abbey" inspired office seemed right up the young legislator's alley.

Now - however - after all the attention, it seems Schock has been hit with an ethics violation inquiry as it seems he's spent a LOT of money on decorating his office and it seems to be coming out of the taxpayer's pocket. In addition, his decorator said he offered her services for free which is considered a violation in itself.

In December 2009 he paid $7,400 to an Illinois design/build firm called KBL Design Center, and then another $21,000 to a hardwood floor company, a building contractor and company called Old World Granite and Marble that apparently makes high-end countertops. He then spent $6,600 on an Illinois painting contractor.

Two months later, Schock spent $79,061 on furniture purchases, including $5,123 from a company called Mulnix Industries that specializes in hardwood podiums.

Around the same time, Schock spent more than $4,000 with a fine-leather furniture company called Garrett Leather.

[snip]

The Washington Post story quoted the designer of Schock's Capitol Hill office as saying she provided her design services to Schock for free. That led the liberal group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to file a complaint Tuesday with the House alleging that Schock may have received an improper gift.

Schock says he paid his decorator last time she worked for him, and he will again.

And, he denies having ever seen a single episode of "Downton Abbey."

Riiiiiiiiiiight. That's why his offices were decorated in this bold manner.

Congressman Aaron Schock Has A Secret Only His Interior Decorator Knows

Rep. Aaron Schock

So, totally not gay Republican Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois recently redecorated his office in Washington, D.C.

A new Congress, a new look. What could that hurt?

As the story goes, a woman named Annie Brahler, of the decorating firm Euro Trash, offered her services free of charge to the handsome, young congressman, although he did have to personally pay for any items she picked out on his behalf.

Well, Washington Post reporter Ben Terris stopped by the offices of Mr. Schock and was greeted by what was described by staff as inspired by the PBS hit series Downton Abbey. The decorator, Ms. Annie Brahler, even offered a tour of the redux.

As Brahler and Terris walked around, though, Schock's communications director Benjamin Cole got involved with a somewhat abrupt request to cease, desist and delete all pics of the office redo, and offering an interview on any subject with the congressman as long as it wasn't about the office decor.

“He’s happy to talk to you, just not about the office,” Cole reportedly told Terris. “I’m really sorry and want you to know this is not fun for me.”

Now why, many wonder, would a PR guy get so nervous about an office decor change?

Eyebrows seem to be raised because of persistent rumors that the 33 year old congressman is actually gay and closeted, with a voting record that is not LGBT friendly at all.

See tweets from Washington Post reporter Ben Terris below:

Rep. Schock decorated his office like a room in Downton Abbey. He doesn’t wanna talk about it http://t.co/dhDUoBMnNF pic.twitter.com/yaLV5AkDoZ
— Ben Terris (@bterris) February 3, 2015

People want more photos from Schock's office. Here are pheasant feathers. http://t.co/dhDUoBMnNF pic.twitter.com/gu1Qc4oSFS
— Ben Terris (@bterris) February 3, 2015

Fwiw, I thought the office looked rad. http://t.co/dhDUoBMnNF pic.twitter.com/XKnK5yNori
— Ben Terris (@bterris) February 3, 2015

Sen. Lindsey Graham: "White Men In Male-Only Clubs Are Going To Do Great In My Presidency"

Sen. Lindsey Graham has admitted in an interview to making eye-raising comments last month at a meeting of the Hibernian Society of Charleston.

From a recording made at the meeting which was then anonymously sent to two South Carolina Democrats:

“I’m trying to help you with your tax status. I’m sorry the government’s so f*cked up. If I get to be president, white men in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency.”

Graham said the Hibernian Society encourages speakers "to be earthy, to make fun of yourself, to make fun of them. Then you say something serious and sit down. And if you talk over 20 minutes, they throw something at you."

CBS reporter Itay Hod outs IL Republican congressman Aaron Schock

Illinois congressman Aaron Schock

CBS News reporter Itay Hod wrote the following on his Facebook page last night.

"Here's a hypothetical: What if you know a certain GOP congressman, let's just say from Illinois, is gay... and you know this because one of your friends, a journalist for a reputable network, told you in no uncertain terms that he caught that GOP congressman and his male roommate in the shower... together. Now they could have been good friends just trying to conserve water. But there's more. What if this congressman has also been caught by TMZ cameras trolling gay bars?

"Now what if you know that this very same guy, the darling of the GOP, has also voted against repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, opposed the repeal of DOMA, is against gay marriage; and for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add language to the US Constitution banning gay marriage and would likely strike down every gay rights law and ordinance in the country? Are we still not allowed to out him?

"Let me ask another question. Doesn't the media have an OBLIGATION to expose his hypocrisy? If he had done something so hypocritical and he wasn't gay, wouldn't we demand journalists do their job? But they can't... because we won't let them. you're not allowed to out ANYONE, we tell them. We've created a situation where even though news organizations know this guy is gay, they can't report it because he hasn't said so on Twitter."

For those who follow such things, Hod is clearly referring to Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL.). For years Schock has been on the radar of the LGBT political radar for his anti-gay votes and positions, even as many have suggested that it's very very very very possible that he's living a gay life on the downlow.

I should note that Rep. Aaron Schock is really really anti-gay policy. Here's a recap:

• Schock voted against adding sexual orientation to the already-existing hate crimes law.
• Schock opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
• Schock opposes the repeal of DOMA.
• Schock is against gay marriage.
• Schock is for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add language to the US Constitution banning gay marriage and likely striking down every gay rights law and ordinance in the country.

I am not one for "outing" another EXCEPT in a case exactly like this. Were it to be true that Schock is voting against the rights and positions of the very community for which he is a part, I am more than happy to see him come clean about a double life as it were.

I'll be curious to see how this may or may not shake out.

Stay tuned.

(h/t JMG)

The Making of "Behind The Candelabra"

The Making of Behind The Candelabra showcases Michael Douglas and Matt Damon's fierce commitment of bringing truth to the love story between famed entertainer Liberace and Scott Thorson, played by Douglas and Damon respectively.

I've been surprised by not only the public's but my own fascination with the Liberace story being told. To be honest, the video teasers and this featurette really intrigue me about this singular, original artist. I honestly can't wait to see it on HBO.

Don't miss it on May 26th at 9pm.