Issue 261: Brontez Purnell, Jontavion & Brandon, John Boyega, Xavier Jugelé, Joey Stefano, Aaron Hernandez, and more...

the week's

news

& pop

culture,

with a

gay

bias.

Left &
Found

First we rebelled. Then we assimilated. What do we want now?

We’re here. We’re queer. We’re invisible.

Men tell homophobic jokes because of their own fragile masculinity.

How the Catholic priesthood became an unlikely haven for many gay men.

Seventeen things Jesus Christ said about homosexuality.

What is a TERF and why should you be worried?

How mad should I be when white people greet and talk to my dog when I’m walking him instead of me?

Dear white gay men: I'm calling you out.

On mind-bogglingly racist gay bars.

F**king racists. "I'm used to my life being used as a virtue signal. From High Street banks to TV sitcoms, black gay men are used to signal a brand’s inclusiveness, its edginess, its connection to a progressive zeitgeist. They’re not advertising to me, they’re advertising around me to others. However heart-rending the black actor’s wedding proposal to a white man may appear, the target of the message is not Black gay men, but a white cis het mainstream."

My life as a trans fraternity bro.

Toxic masculinity enables violent events like Cleveland and San Bernardino more often than you know.

Black death is the new porn - we have become desensitised.

On escaping the “doom loop” of Trump's presidency.

News
America

This is Raul Marti, a gay cancer survivor. He had his nose broken in a brutal homophobic attack at a Miami bus stop.

Dallas aims to get its LGBT homeless youth off the streets by 2020.

Homeless LGBT youth more likely to be sex traffic victims.

Meanwhile, an Oregon homeless youth centre has rejected a donation from the Gay Men’s Chorus.

The youth who are honouring Pedro Zamora's legacy.

New Chelsea gay bar REBAR accused of racist door policy.

New Orleans cop spanks street performer’s ass at gay parade.

Nearly sixteen million American men act as unpaid caregivers to their loved ones. It's time we talk about them.

New York finally signs law to stop charging 16 and 17-year-olds as adults.

Alabama’s disgraced Chief Justice Roy Moore has lost his appeal against his suspension, after abusing his powers in a homophobic crusade.

Hillary Clinton to President Obama on election night: "I’m sorry I lost".

Deplorables: Sarah Palin, Ted Nugent, and Kid Rock visited Trump in the White House, and mocked Hillary Clinton’s portrait.

The New York Times blasts Trump's record on LGBT equality.

Trump hands top job to Republican who was too homophobic for Congress.

Trump could destroy the narrow pro-LGBT majority on the US Supreme Court this summer.

Why the honeymoon is over between Trump and some far-right media commentators.

A retired army colonel is worried Trump and Pence will succumb to gay "temptations".

Trump's travel policies are hurting "US brand" and discouraging tourists.

A gay prosecutor’s guide to resisting Jeff Sessions.

Betsy DeVos screwed you over.

Fifteen times Trump was guilty of Hillary’s supposed sins.

Man dies peacefully after learning of Trump’s impeachment.

The rise of left-wing, anti-Trump fake news.

Is the Abbey still a gay bar? Its owner responds. "David Cooley discusses the past, present, and future of his famous West Hollywood establishment, the Abbey, which is the focus of a new E! reality show."

Miami Beach Pride, in pictures.

Fox News fired Bill O'Reilly to protect their money, not because of sexual assault allegations.

Rodney King riots 25 years later: a view from the corner where it all began. "On 29 April 1992 riots erupted after four LAPD officers were acquitted in the savage beating of Rodney King. As the anniversary looms – what did it all mean?"

This is a war and we intend to win: the rise and fall of a violent underground anti-racist group.

The heart of whiteness: Ijeoma Oluo interviews Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who identifies as black.

Tonight on Dateline this man will die. "NBC's To Catch a Predator arrived in Murphy, Texas, to conduct a sting operation. The only honest thing that followed was the gunshot." (February 2009)

I paid for fancy jail because the alternative was terrifying.

The glitz and the grit: Las Vegas homeless stake claim on the Strip. "As the city works hard to position itself as the ultimate luxury destination, its most impoverished residents complain of growing tensions with police."

The complete oral history of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. "On January 28th, 1969, crude oil and gas erupted from a platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Alarm over the disaster reverberated around the world, energizing the nascent environmental movement and leading to a slew of legislative changes."

CANADA

The town of Ferryland has a new best friend: this massive, gorgeous iceberg.

News
UK

The gay community is racist.

This is 17-year-old Owen Wise (left). He's been jailed for six years for the brutal attack on a trans man.

LGBT London: what venue closures mean for the capital's future. "London has lost many LGBT venues in recent years as rents skyrocket and property development accelerates. But with the mayor’s ‘night tsar’ and new spaces emerging, there are signs of revival for the capital’s queer nightlife."

Protests continue at London’s Black Cap pub, two years after its closure.

This is 19-year-old Jordan Wright. He is the latest London teenager to be stabbed to death; across the UK this year, thirteen children and teenagers have been killed by knives.

Retired vicar branded a "Judas" for marrying a man.

Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron branded "disgrace" after refusing to answer gay sex question.

Does being LGBT hurt your chances of becoming an MP?

The UK’s most senior police officer Cressida Dick is in a same-sex relationship.

Gay and lesbians in the UK mapped for the first time – with surprising results.

First coal-free day in Britain since 1880s.

Worse than heroin: how spice is ravaging homeless communities. "As Manchester police report a spike in spice-related incidents, homeless people say highly addictive drug is causing deaths."

Liberal capitalism has rotted our souls. But its days might be numbered. "It will be a long road back from the Blair/Thatcher consensus. But this election finally gives us leaders who prioritise morality over the market."

News
World

FRANCE

This is 37-year-old Xavier Jugelé, the French police officer murdered in a terrorist attack on Paris's Champs-Élysées. "A committed activist, Jugelé was a member of Flag, an organization for LGBT police officers in France. He also protested against Russia's so-called gay propaganda ban, which made most public displays of Pride illegal. Jugelé also traveled to Greece to aid migrants who arrived there seeking exile."

FRANCE

How Marine Le Pen played the media. "For years, she has accused French journalists of bias against her family and her party. Yet Marine Le Pen has managed to lead the far-right Front National into the political mainstream – and she couldn’t have done it without the press."

CHECHNYA

President Ramzan Kadyrov claims he is under "attack" as journalists flee for their lives - but promises to eliminate the gay community by the start of Ramadan.

CHECHNYA

Human rights group hopes to start a "rainbow railroad" to Canada.

CHECHNYA

Survivors tell their stories of horror. And this: They shock you. They starve you. More stories from inside the gay camps in Chechnya.

CHECHNYA

Being gay is an act of intolerable rebellion in macho Chechnya. "Strict social codes and taboos leave victims of anti-gay repression in an impossible situation, with nowhere to turn."

Arabic media shows anti-LGBT bias — but that could change.

MEXICO

LGBT activist and journalist Juan Jose Roldan found murdered.

BRAZIL

On Salvador, the city where children fend for themselves on the streets.

GUYANA

The only country in South American with anti-LGBT laws is planning to put the issue of decriminalising homosexuality to the voters.

TUNISIA

The drive to save Tunisia’s only queer shelter from closure.

NIGERIA

FIfty-three men arrested for attending "gay wedding".

INDIA

Grappling with prejudices left over from British rule. "Progress will involve not just drawing on country’s pre-colonial past but challenging it too, say backers of anti-discrimination bill."

SOUTH KOREA

Is a leaked sex tape starring to soldiers behind the gay crackdown?

NORTH KOREA

Pity the Pyongyang residents who wake up to this horror show every day.

INDONESIA

Mike Pence praises homophobic Indonesia as modern Islamic model.

AUSTRALIA

Father covers his car in equality decals to support his gay son.

AUSTRALIA

Conservative Tony Abbott welcomes the axing of the Safe Schools anti-bullying program.

Arena

LGBT athletes are still coming out in huge numbers in the Trump era.

How homophobic language skews our view of acceptance in sports.

Aaron Hernandez, the former NFL star who committed suicide in his jail cell, killed because he feared being outed.

Aaron Hernandez died as he lived: a mystery to everyone. "The descent and death of the former NFL star showed us that we can never really know those who live their lives under the public gaze."

Jonathan and Aaron and Dennis... Terri... Odin... Bo... Charlie Boy... "No one but Aaron Hernandez will ever fully grasp how a millionaire tight end came to gun down a friend three summers ago. But Aaron's older brother, Jonathan, was there from day one, and he witnessed all the little moments, all the poor choices, all the unwise associations that led to murder. That perspective cost Jonathan his way of living—but that's O.K. He understands"

Tattoo artist sparks homophobic firestorm with Aaron Rodgers jock strap masterpiece.

Mexican gay soccer team Zorros Mexico is raising money to compete at the World Outgames in Miami.

Chinese basketball team slammed for carrying banners saying "keep gays away".

Magic Johnson declares his love, support for "amazing" gay son.

Gay swimmers Axel Reed and Josh Velasquez are best friends and each other’s rock.

Gay high school athlete Nicholas Ramirez fought teasing to find a home in cheerleading.

Gay Polo tournament hits its 8th year.

India hosts first-ever all-transgender track meet.

Why a Lagos slum is producing Nigeria's top football talent.

I can’t wait until 16 years from now when Serena Williams’s baby beats Maria Sharapova too.

Art +
Design

The appeal to revive Peter Laszlo Peri’s nude sunbather statues.

Who would live in a house like this? Well, moi, of course! Take a peek inside KAOS HQ.

From Colgate Lasagne to Crystal Pepsi: visit the Museum of Failure. "Dr Samuel West has gathered exhibits demonstrating abject commercial failure and put them on show in Helsingborg, Sweden. But he says there’s a lot to learn from the very worst ideas."

Word!

READ

Here's an excerpt from Since I Laid My Burden Down, the new novel by Brontez Purnell. From the publisher: "DeShawn lives a high, creative, and promiscuous life in San Francisco. But when he’s called back to his cramped Alabama hometown for his uncle’s funeral, he’s hit by flashbacks of handsome, doomed neighbors and sweltering Sunday services. Amidst prickly reminders of his childhood, DeShawn ponders family, church, and the men in his life, prompting the question: Who deserves love? A raw, funny, and uninhibited stumble down memory lane, Brontez Purnell’s debut novel explores how one man’s early sexual and artistic escapades grow into a life."

READ

Three excerpts from Connor Franta's intimate new book Note To Self.

Too busy to read? You're not the only one.

REVIEW

Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne: A Life in Several Acts, by Robert Hofler. "Dominick Dunne... died in 2009, at age 83, his legacy encompassed television and film productions including the grim gay classic Boys in the Band, eight best-selling novels, and two decades of celebrity-crime reporting, most prominently concerning O.J. Simpson’s trial for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife and her friend. Dunne never claimed to be objective; he once announced, 'I’m sick of being asked to weep for killers.' Seven years after his death his fans remain loyal."

Here's the latest instalment of Zulu, the comic from Alverne Ball following the life of 16-year-old Lazarus Jones, who becomes possessed by the spirit of warrior king Shaka Zulu while visiting South Africa.

On the rag - the week's gay weeklies.

Shouting
At Night

The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, a play featuring gay versions of Bible stories, is causing uproar in Atlanta.

Broadway Bares is happening again, and the theme this year is Strip U.

INTERVIEW

Talking to John Boyega about his journey from Peckham, to the Death Star, to the Old Vic.

Film
Forever

INTERVIEW

"America isn’t made for the black man." Talking to Moonlight's Ashton Sanders about dealing with bullies and racism, and why he’ll never become too Hollywood.

Overwhelming majority think there aren’t enough LGBT characters on TV or in films.

Marvel’s lesbian "erasure" from Black Panther film sparks fan outrage.

The LGBT films of Tribeca 2017.

WATCH

Star Wars hero John Boyeya on his character's adventures in gay erotic fan fiction: "I appreciate all support for Finn and his butt cheeks."

Miami to rename street Moonlight Way in honour of the Oscar-winning film.

Chad Darnell to direct a biopic on tragic gay porn actor Joey Stefano; it will "tell the story of Stefano’s discovery by drag superstar and porn director Chi Chi LaRue, his rise to fame as a model in Madonna’s Sex book, and the drug overdose that caused his death."

The 1976 film Network is meant to be satire, not a playbook for news hosts.

LA riots on film: the projects marking the 25th anniversary of an uprising. "Film-makers, including Spike Lee, John Ridley and John Singleton, have created work that remembers the disturbances from different angles."

Why cinema is having a monochrome moment. "The new colour-free version of Mad Max: Fury Road is leading a renewed charge in black-and-white filmmaking."

WATCH

Utopians (trailer); I Love You Both (trailer).

The
Box

"You didn’t win, we won": the great LGBT TV revolution. "From Transparent to Billions, LGBT characters are more visible than ever. As TV’s first non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillon explains, the future looks bright."

David Walliams faces backlash as viewers grow tired of "faux gay" routine on Britain’s Got Talent.

Dumb: Breaking Bad actor Lavell Crawford thinks homosexuality is “f**king weird”.

Oprah Winfrey has given homophobic preacher John Gray his own show.

The gay man who outed a trans Survivor contestant has been fired from his job.

12-year-old boy who was punched for wearing make-up wows Ellen.

RuPaul's Drag Race: This week's rankings.

Last words with RuPaul's Drag Race's Charlie Hides.

Last words with RuPaul's Drag Race's Eureka O'Hara.

WATCH

The Pit Crew react to mean comments.

On SlayTV, the global network for LGBT people of colour.

The cast of Fire Island hit back at critics: "We’re not harming anyone."

If you can stomach it, here's the top eleven hysterical Daily Mail comments about Doctor Who’s new lesbian companion.

Meanwhile, transphobic lesbian Julie Bindel thinks the new Doctor Who assistant was added to provide "titillation for male viewers".

Doctor Who’s new companion feels familiar — with a few intriguing exceptions.

Doctor Who spinoff Class tries — and fails — to add cheeky teen drama to classic sci-fi. "It attempts to mix fun teen drama with planetary genocide, but it’s not very interested in teens."

Making great science fiction TV is a challenge. The Expanse proves it can be done.

RIP Girls, a show we mostly misunderstood. "The characters in Lena Dunham's HBO series might have lacked self-awareness, but the show never did."

Girls’ series finale wasn’t satisfying, but it was fitting. "Latching was just as jarring, lonely, and hopeful as the show itself."

The end has no end: Girls and the difficult art of the TV finale. "How have long-running shows managed to end things without fan uproar?"

Girls and Duck Dynasty, from beginning to end, reflected a splintered America.

The mothers grim: why Big Little Lies is the bleakest of fairytales. "The gripping series finale showed that the moms of Monterey are more complex, flawed and troubled than their expensive handbags would suggest."

INTERVIEW

Talking to Bob Odenkirk about the joy of being older, why he’s way too responsible and what he owes Monty Python.

Why Omar is the greatest character on The Wire, no doubt. (June 2015)

South African soap 7de Laan introduces transgender character, played by transgender school teacher Deonay Balie.

Gays of our lives: Your latest from gay soapland.

WATCH

Here's the latest episodes of Skin Deep the Series; Shadows; and the trailers for new series Uncle Joey, and the second season of About Him.

Debra Messing defends the legacy Of Will & Grace ahead of the revival.

Summer Heights High: the 10 most Ja’mie-zing moments. "On the 10th anniversary of Chris Lilley’s riotous mockumentary, we remember the highlights, from fake car accidents to Mr G’s bizarre musicals."

Beats, Rhymes
& Life

Music industry goes to war with YouTube.

Frank Ocean jokes about sex positions with his mum – and she’s not impressed.

Out lesbian Christian rock star Vicky Beeching faces vile abuse from Christians.

WATCH

Get a glimpse of Frankie Knuckles’ record collection.

Attack the block: how grime’s visuals went pop. "The rough, grainy style of early grime videos made perfect sense for a genre that prided itself on gritty realism. But why are Charli XCX to Dua Lipa suddenly getting in on the act? And what do the originators make of it all?"

He guided the careers of Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Cher, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg. Now Hollywood manager Sandy Gallin is dead. He was 70.

WATCH

Hurts tackle homophobic violence in their new video for Beautiful Ones.

Kendrick's DAMN. is a spiritual reawakening.

LISTEN

Here's queer hip-hop artist Christopher Lovell's new EP Gatekeepers.

WATCH

Here's Beau Young Prince with Faded In The Night; and Tepr (featuring Kiddy Smile) with Inquisifunk...

...And Golden Boy, from Boy Radio. Watch it here.

Red Light
District

"Fauxcest": the disturbing rise of incest-themed porn.

Fiancés Logan Moore And Josh Moore have broken up.

Michael Lucas falsely claims that Logan Moore assaulted Josh Moore.

Michael Lucas restates hatred of Muslims, labels refugees “barbarians”.

Tom Faulk stabbed on the set of that NakedSword movie about dirt.

Armond Rizzo flaunts it.

Helix beauties Sean Ford, Corbin Colby, Joey Mills, Zach Taylor and Colton James do it.

Jason Vario and Michael Roman do it.

Mr. International Leather 2015 Patrick Smith wants to show you the ropes with the first online BDSM database.

Ghetto
Romance

How online racism towards gay Asian men affects real life dating.

How to attend a sex party without being an asshole.

Symphorophilia, bug chasing, and more: Twenty-two terrifying sexual fantasies that must be talked about.

Paying to get jerked off is never a happy ending. "I used to see male masseurs when nobody wanted to touch me. So why do I still see them now that I'm in an incredible relationship?"

Hell's
Kitchen

A queer chef just totally shut down Ivanka Trump.

The story of how fake sugar got approved is scary as hell.

Rag
Trade

Christian Siriano explains why he won’t dress Melania Trump.

What to wear to Blatino Oasis.

On the joy of jockstraps, in pictures.

If you wear fake fur, you are dressing up as an animal killer. "Real fur has been found in products such as gloves, hats and shoes at high street retailers. A fake fur boycott would deny fur a place in fashion."

As more buy clothes online, Walmart eyes a piece of the action.

Betta
Work!

What I learned working in a naked gay bar.

Rise of the robots: What advances mean for workers.

Robots to replace 1 in 3 UK jobs over next 20 years.

I Own 51% Of
This Company!

Why the collapse of the BHS department store chain has set a trend for a chain of closures on UK high streets. "The retail sector is still reeling a year after the collapse of the chain, with rising numbers of staff on zero-hours contracts and other big hitters shutting shop as the internet squeezes their share of profits."

Two-thirds of BHS stores lie empty as anniversary of collapse nears. "Only 52 of 164 stores have new tenants or deals in the offing as changing shopping habits cut demand for large premises."

UK department store chain Debenhams to close stores, warehouses - and Marks & Spencer follow suit.

The UK's troubled Sports Direct chain buys fifty stores from (also troubled) Eastern Outfitters stores as it moves on the American market.

Should cities ban chain stores? "Toronto is just the latest city to explore limiting chain stores to preserve small business and retain neighbourhood character. But does it work?"

Amazon expands in Australia.

Tomorrow's
World

YouTube stops restricting LGBT content.

Uber lost $2.8 billion in 2016. Will it ever become profitable?

How artificial intelligence learns to be racist.

My friend messages me on every platform. How do I politely say "back off"? "In a world where we get flooded via Facebook, text messaging and more, a look at whether you can de-escalate a friendship without losing a friend."

Médecins Sans
Frontières

I’m a black nerd who went on PrEP.

Boffins figure out a way to create HIV-resistant cells...

...But there's bad news too: second immune cell found to harbour HIV during treatment.

You’re not fat, it’s just your HIV meds.

Why is HIV testing vital to trans health?

Can I get an infection from receiving oral sex?

Planet
Earth

Our climate future is actually our climate present. "What we’ll lose, and what we’ve already lost."

Rivers vanishing into thin air: this is what climate change looks like.

Zoo

WATCH

Boffins discover first living three-foot-long giant shipworm; and a horse attacks an alligator.

Foxes surge into England's towns and cities.

The week in wildlife, in pictures.

Planes, Trains
& Automobiles

Trump imperils Atlanta transit expansion thanks to federal cuts.

Atlanta’s roads already needed help. Then a bridge collapsed.

The Ghan expedition – exploring Australia's great in-between. "From Darwin, through Katherine, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy and finally to Adelaide, the train journey offers travellers something different each day."

And
This...

Finally, Walter reaches out to the HIV-positive community; Andrew confesses; TaetheDoug speaks out; and Jontavian and Brandon misbehave.

Issue 261: 15-22 April 2017

On the cover: Vlogging boyfriends Jontavion and Brandon.

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Postcript

"You know, we might just as well not have

bothered to come. The whole thing's been ridiculous."

© 2017