• InstaHunks: Woofy Jeff Ferreira shows off the gorgeous Greek landscape in Mykonos. Ok, maybe I'm just looking at Jeff... #busted
• OUT: NFLer Odell Beckham Jr. is still not gay and tired of the speculation - "Like, beyond it."
• Buzzfeed: The Trump administration on Wednesday formally proposed a new rule to let businesses with federal contracts cite religious objections as a valid reason to discriminate against their workers on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, LGBTQ status, and other characteristics — thereby skirting worker protections created by past presidents.
• kenneth-in-the-212: It's Hump Day, and you know what that means over at KI212, Wrestle Wednesday! More at the link.
• NY Post: A former Hamptons bartender has filed a lawsuit against CNN anchor Don Lemon claiming the newsman fondled himself "aggressively" then shoved his hand under the bartender's nose. Lemon's legal team says the bartender asked for $1.5 million prior to filing the lawsuit. The bartender claims he experienced "severe emotional stress" due to the 2018 incident.
• PinkNews: IMDb (Internet Movie Database), which bills itself as the “world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities," has reversed course and announced that it will allow transgender actors to remove their birth name from its pages.
• New Music: Producer Gryffin teams with pop artist Carly Rae Jepsen for “OMG,” a synth-pop bop built on glossy beats and a candy-sweet hook. Gryffin delivers a dynamic yet elegant sonic landscape that showcases Jepsen's reliably effusive, sunshine bright vocals.
Says Jepsen, "Gryffin is a kindred spirit in the way he thinks about music; I'm grateful to be a part of this song."
Madonna speaks onstage during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards New York.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD)
It was a star-studded night at the Hilton Midtown in New York City as GLAAD - the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization - honored Madonna, Andy Cohen, Don Lemon & CNN, the cast of FX’s Pose and more at the 2019 Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
For 30 years, the GLAAD Media Awards have honored media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.
Introducing Madonna, CNN's Anderson Cooper told the crowd, “No single ally has been a better friend or had a bigger impact on acceptance for the LGBTQ community than Madonna.”
Accepting the Advocate for Change Award from Cooper, Madonna said in her remarks, “As soon as you really understand what it means to love, you understand what it takes to become a human being and that it is every human’s duty to fight, to advocate, to do whatever we can and whatever it takes.”
Referencing her upcoming album, the Queen of Pop added, “MADAME X is a FREEDOM FIGHTER.”
“Madonna always has and always will be the LGBTQ community’s greatest ally and it is only fitting to honor and celebrate our biggest advocate at GLAAD’s biggest event ever,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
“From the HIV crisis to international LGBTQ issues, she fearlessly pushes for a world where LGBTQ people are accepted. Her music and art have been life-saving outlets for LGBTQ people over the years and her affirming words and actions have changed countless hearts and minds.”
Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Awards presented on stage or announced during the event in New York City:
• Advocate for Change Award: Madonna [presented by Anderson Cooper, Rosie O’Donnell & Mykki Blanco]
• Vito Russo Award: Andy Cohen [presented by Sarah Jessica Parker]
• Outstanding Drama Series: Pose (FX) [accepted by: creators Ryan Murphy and Steven Canals, and cast members including Billy Porter, Janet Mock, Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Angelica Ross, Our Lady J, Dyllon Burnside, Hailie Sahar, and Ryan Jamal Swain; presented by Rachel Brosnahan]
• Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode: “Trans Rights Under Attack” Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) [accepted by: Samantha Bee; presented by Adam Rippon and Lilly Singh]
• Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: “Same Sex Couple Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling” CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN) [accepted by: Don Lemon; presented by Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson]
• Outstanding Film - Limited Release: Boy Erased (Focus Features)
• Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
• Outstanding Music Artist: Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer (Bad Boy Records)
• Outstanding TV Journalism - Newsmagazine: “Conversion Therapy: God Only Knows” CBS Sunday Morning (CBS)
• Outstanding Newspaper Article: “He Took a Drug to Prevent AIDS. Then He Couldn’t Get Disability Insurance.” by Donald G. McNeil Jr. (The New York Times)
• Outstanding Digital Journalism Article: "Bermuda Same-sex Marriage Ban Means Trouble for Tourism and Cruise Ships” by Ryan Ruggiero (CNBC.com)
• Outstanding Digital Journalism - Video or Multimedia: “March for Our Lives and LGBT activism. ‘They’re definitely linked for me,’ says Emma González” by Beth Greenfield (Yahoo! Lifestyle)
• Outstanding Scripted Television Series (Spanish-Language): Elite (Netflix) and Mi marido tiene más familia (Univision) [TIE]
• Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (Spanish-Language): "Primera Pareja Gay en Casarse en un Consulado Mexicano" Noticias Telemundo Mediodía (Telemundo)
Additional awards were announced earlier this year in Los Angeles.
CNN's Don Lemon at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards New York.
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Andy Cohen attends the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards New York.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Billy Porter from the cast of FX's Pose
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Janet Mock speaks onstage with the cast of Pose.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Caitlin Kinnunen from the acclaimed Broadway musical The Prom performs.
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Chelsea Clinton speaks at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards New York.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD)
It's important to recognize that all of this doesn't happen through magic. Corporations that choose to support celebrating positive media about the LGBTQ community are important to us.
Make sure you note the companies that join in celebrating us when you think about your consumer dollars.
The 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are supported by Presenting Partners Delta Air Lines, Gilead, Hyundai, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Wells Fargo.
Additional partners include: Official Partners Bud Light and Google; Titanium Partner AT&T and WEN; Platinum Partners Comcast NBCUniversal-Telemundo, Creative Artists Agency, Disney ABC Television Group, Facebook/Instagram, HBO, Hulu, Kaiser Permanente, MetLife, NBA & WNBA, Netflix, Omnicom Group, PRG, Sheppard Mullin, Turner; Gold Partners CBS/Showtime, Nielsen, PWC, UM, Univision, and VER; and Silver Partners Allstate, Coca-Cola, Morgan Stanley, and Warner Bros.
CNN Tonight anchor Don Lemon announced he is engaged to boyfriend Tim Malone after the real estate agent popped the question while celebrating his birthday.
The 53-year-old anchor shared the news on his social media with a photo of their two dogs' collars asking "Daddy Will You Marry Papa?" Lemon added the caption, "He gave me a present on his birthday. How could I say no?"
CNN host Don Lemon took a trip on the way-back machine last night by airing a 2013 video of Donald Trump saying then-President Obama should be fired over a government shutdown.
Lemon first ran down a list of those agencies and employees that are affected by the current Trump shutdown of the federal government:
• 380K federal employees on leave without pay
• 420K working without pay including 41,000 law enforcement and correctional officers, and tens of thousands of Customs and Border Patrol agents and customs officers.
Lemon then aired a clip from 2013 where Trump told Fox News: “If you say, ‘Who gets fired?’ it always has to be the top. Problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top."
“The president is the leader, he has to get everyone in a room and lead," Trump continued.
Today Show host Megan Kelly got into hot water yesterday when she questioned why blackface wasn't ok for Halloween?
Seriously?
During a round-table conversation about Halloween costumes, Kelly said that blackface was, “OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing like a character,” and said she doubted whether blackface was actually racist.
“What is racist?” she asked. “Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween.”
When we had the roundtable discussion earlier today about the controversy of making your face look like a different race as part of a Halloween costume, I suggested that this seemed okay if done as part of this holiday where people have the chance to make themselves look like others. The iconic Diana Ross came up as an example. To me, I thought, why would it be controversial for someone dressing up asDiana Ross to make herself look like this amazing woman as a way of honoring and respecting her?
I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and I am sorry. The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent; the wounds too deep.
I’ve never been a “pc” kind of person — but I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. Particularly on race and ethnicity issues which, far from being healed, have been exacerbated in our politics over the past year.
Last night, on CNN, hosts Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon discussed the debacle. Lemon came straight out of the gate with a truth bomb saying, "Megyn is 47 years old, she's our age, there has never been a time in her 47 years that blackface has been acceptable."
"I want to begin with two words, I'm sorry..The country feels so divided and I have no wish to add to that pain and offense. I believe this is a time for more understanding, more love, more sensitivity and honor..Thank you for listening and for helping me listen too." Megyn Kelly pic.twitter.com/6hHrvZLNvK
CNN's Don Lemon clapped back at Donald Trump for the ridiculously racist tweet the Cheeto-in-Chief shared last week about the news anchor and LeBron James.
On August 4, Trump tweeted, "Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!"
Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!
LeBron had just opened a school for 240 at-risk kids.
Lemon, who Trump apparently 'hate watches,' reacted last night saying:
“Let me not mince words here. This president traffics in racism and is fueled by bullying. President Trump is trying a divide-and-conquer strategy here and here’s how it goes. He divides by race and tries to conquer decency by smearing and besmirching the truth and the people who fight to uphold it. Referring to African-Americans as dumb is one of the oldest canards of America’s racist past and present — that black people are of inferior intelligence.
“Unlike this president who lashes out wildly at anyone who criticizes him, LeBron James — in addition to being a brilliant black man, a superstar in his sport, and a hero to his community — is taking the high road, which is exactly where he belongs.”
"President Trump is trying a divide and conquer strategy. ... He divides by race and tries to conquer decency by smearing and besmirching the truth and the people who fight to uphold it." - CNN's @DonLemon responds to Trump's personal attacks on him and LeBron James (@KingJames) pic.twitter.com/fhLrPBjc8S
This is apparently what the President of the United States feels the need to share with the world at what should be long past his bedtime? It's a disgrace. It's racist. And it's the product of petty but dangerous hatreds. I repeat this is the PRESIDENT??!? https://t.co/MA8nZUxFc7
I'd much rather live in a world reflecting the values, philanthropy, and yes intelligence of LeBron James and Don Lemon's intelligent commitment to truth and journalism than the divisive peevishness, lies, and narrow self-interest displayed by the President of the United States.
For Donald Trump, of all people, to insult the intelligence of LeBron James and Don Lemon is as stupid as it is racist. The “stable genius” is a bigoted idiot.
Obama: Kenyan
LeBron James: dumb
Don Lemon: dumb
Maxine Waters: low IQ
black countries: shitholes
black athletes: SOBs
Black workers: lazy
Mexicans: rapists
Muslims: terrorists
Indians: fake
Nazis: very fine people
• Fitness trainer Terron Beckham (above) was giving you all kinds of super-hero vibes on New Years Day. #woof
• Two men have been arrested in connection with a Christmas holiday murder that left a lesbian couple and their two of their three children dead in upstate New York.
• Watching CNN's coverage of New Year's Eve, I felt like Anderson Cooper and new co-host Andy Cohen lacked the right chemistry for what is normally an upbeat broadcast. It looks like a lot of the Twitterverse agreed with my assessment. But CNN's Don Lemon kissing his bf on the air was fun :)
Don Lemon kissing his boyfriend - whom he met last year in same bar - live on #CNNNYE 💜 Love is real in 2018! pic.twitter.com/cUDe4nbhVk
• The Advocate has an excellent article on flexing the power of the LGBT community's trillion dollar economic clout. First step, support LGBT-owned companies. Second, read the article.
• After filling in for over a month for the departed Matt Lauer (fired for alleged sexual misconduct), Hoda Kotb was named co-anchor of "Today" on this morning. She will headline the 7-9AM segment of the morning show with Savannah Guthrie, as well as continue to host the 10AM hour with Kathie Lee Gifford.
• Platinum-selling recording artist BØRNS releases his latest track, “God Save Our Young Blood feat. Lana Del Rey,” ahead of his sophomore album Blue Madonna which is set for release on January 12, 2018.
If you were to suppose BØRNS and Lana Del Rey seems like a totally logical teaming, you'd be right. Listen below.
• Model Steve Raider's prescription for a happy life, "A smile a day," accomplishes his goal; at least on my end :)
• Powerball announced that a single ticket sold at a convenience store in Chicopee, Mass., was the winner of Wednesday night’s $758.7 million jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. Can you imagine? I can :)
• India's Supreme Court has ruled that privacy is a "Personal Liberty guaranteed in Article 21 of the Constitution." The ruling has implications for several other issues, including sexual rights and freedoms for LGBTs.
• Anderson Cooper calmly and methodically offers this epic takedown of Donald Trump's lies and attempts to rewrite history at his rally in Phoenix earlier this week.
Wow. Things got testy last night on CNN when Donald Trump surrogate Omarosa Manigualt tried to avoid a direct answer to a question posed by anchor Don Lemon.
Lemon began the segment by asking asking former Apprentice star and Trump backer Omarosa Manigualt about the Trump campaign’s “over the top” attack on Heidi Cruz on Twitter.
Omarosa began by saying “I don’t think we should start there” and attempted to talk about the Super PAC that ran an ad featuring a cheesecake photo of Melania Trump, only to have the CNN host shut her down.
“No no no. I’m not gonna let you do that. Omarosa, stop! ” Lemon said.
“Omarosa, stop! Okay, let’s stop. Cut the mic” he continued as she tried to talk over him. “We’re not doing that. I want everyone on this panel to answer the question directly, and I will let you –”
“You can ask questions, but you can’t answer them, Don,” Omarosa interrupted, leading to Lemon to cut the segment short with “We’ll be right back” before going to commercial.
Personally, I support Lemon here. I've grown weary of candidates or their representatives ducking/avoiding answer direct questions. You can get to your "spin" but answer the questions posed to you.
Trump's people will say Omarosa wasn't giving the proper "anti-Trump" answer. But, seriously people, stop I'm showing up to news shows with only pre-packaged talking points, with the intention to only deflect to scripted sound bites.
During a stroll through Times Square with Anderson Cooper during the CNN coverage of New Year's Eve, comedian Kathy Griffin dropped her coast to walk sans blouse.
CNN's Don Lemon remarked from New Orleans to Griffin, "nice rack - didn't know you had all that going on up there."
Lemon, who is openly gay, was also sipping from a cup during the evening which his co-host Brooke Baldwin took from him after the comment.
Anderson Cooper (also openly gay) responded to Griffin dropping her coat with "you've got a rocking bod, I have to say."
Thoughts? Was this a bad thing? Was it just New Year's Eve antics? Does it matter that Lemon or Cooper are gay? If a straight male news anchor told a guest they had a "nice rack" would that fly?
Or are folks just bored and making a mountain out of two nicely "racked" mole hills?
Openly gay CNN news anchor Don Lemon finds himself on a "Year End" list nobody really wants to be on - "Worst Journalism of 2014."
The Columbia Journalism Review's recap of the year’s "most cringeworthy news blunders" included the out anchor because of a series of off kilter moments that made headlines this year.
"Live television is exceedingly difficult to produce, of course, but Lemon’s gaffes this year offer a case study in how to choose words wisely — or not," wrote David Uberti.
Among Lemon's 2014 gaffes listed were mentioning the "obvious" smell of marijuana during the Ferguson riots, asking in seriousness if a black hole might have been responsible for the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370, and comparing spanking children to dog training.
Out CNN anchor Don Lemon will be getting his own prime time show beginning March 10th.
Currently a weekend host of CNN Newsroom, Lemon will get a five week trial run of The Don Lemon Show, scheduled for Mondays at 10pm.
That time slot was recently held by AC360 Later.
CNN is currently experimenting with programming at the 10pm hour. In addition to Don Lemon's new show, the network recently launched the docu-series ChicagoLand on Thursdays at 10pm.
Via Mediaite - CNN's Don Lemon ended OutFront on Monday night by talking about Robin Roberts coming out and why it's important for other famous people to publicly come out too. Lemon said, "Do people really need to do it anymore? The answer is yes."
He spoke of his own struggles coming out to people close to him, and then coming out publicly years later, saying he was fearful at how the news would be received by viewers and others.
Lemon said he was "afraid of people like Phil Robertson who claim to love everyone while simultaneously thinking that everyone's love is unequal."
I'm thankful we have public figures like Don Lemon, Robin Roberts and Thomas Roberts to be out front and public with who they are both professionally and personally.
Great way to end the year knowing folks like this represent me in some way.
The conversation took on a personal tone, established by Lemon’s first sentence, “It’s usually not easy to come out as a gay man, I know.” Lemon publicly came out in May. Potts has only recently started speaking out publicly about his family and experience growing up and coming out. I follow Randy Roberts Potts on Facebook and his posts are often quite inspirational to read.
A major portion of the conversation centered on Potts’ family. His grandfather, Oral Roberts, was a high profile Pentecostal televangelist. He is credited with bringing Pentecostalism into the American mainstream. Additionally, he was a pioneer of televangelism and founded a university that still bears his name.
Potts discussed the pressure that he received from his family, even before coming out, partly due to his uncle’s death. After Potts came out to his family, he lost most contact with them.
“I feel like they`re trapped in a lot of fear. I think they really are legitimately afraid that I am going to hell. And they are too scared to look beyond that. And so it hurts me, but I also feel badly for them to be trapped or feel trapped in a place like that.”
Fear was also a prominent theme in the follow-up conversation with Jay Bakker, pastor of Revolution New York City and son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.
Bakker said that Jesus’ actions and teachings always pointed clearly toward expressing love and hospitality, and spending time with people who need more grace. He remarked that the Christian church has, over its history, completely reversed the teachings of Jesus, setting up restrictions and disassociating with whole populations.
Bakker noted that now there are more and more LGBT-affirming churches, but it is still a struggle.
“I almost went bankrupt when I said I love everybody. You know, this wasn’t a popularity contest. This was just me following a deep conviction. And it all came from understanding god’s Grace and god’s love, you know. They say—I’ve always had people say, you know, Jay, too much grace, it’s a slippery slope. And it is a slippery slope to loving everybody. I’m glad I got to slide on down it.”
