Don’t Be Dumb at Brunch: Strike a ‘Pose’ With Ryan Murphy, While Getting GLAAD With Britney
Happy Sunday! We have an interesting group of stories for you this week — including a first look at a new show our community should be excited about. We also ponder when a hate crime against our community is actually a hate crime? The country of Uganda is back in the news and it’s not good. And to lighten things up, we reminisce about a fun night at the GLAAD Awards. As always, we bring you our Whack Job of the Week and for the first time, it’s not an individual. See who it is below.
Here are the week’s 5 news stories that’ll keep you looking well-informed at brunch:
1. Strike a Pose!
FX released the first trailer for Ryan Murphy’s Pose and we could not be more excited! The show features television’s largest cast of transgender actors in regularly recurring roles and also has the largest LGBTQ cast ever for a scripted series. Not to mention yummy co-star James Van Der Beek and Mr. Kinky Boots himself, Billy Porter.
As a community, we can’t forget what a champion we have in ground-breaking creator, the openly gay Ryan Murphy. He uses his incredible platform to tell LGBTQ stories and regularly casts out actors. His stories increase awareness, spread diversity and change hearts and minds. We can’t wait the premiere on June 3 — right at the beginning of Pride month! Check out the trailer here.
2. Payback’s a Bitch
Here’s a stark reminder that even the safest spaces, hate can lurk and rear its ugly head. Just after Miami Beach pride, a gay couple was attacked by a group of men resulting in multiple cuts and bruises. There’s even video of this horrific event. Rene Chalarca and Dmitry Logunov were simply waiting to use a public restroom and expressed a basic human connection — a hug. It was pride after all. Besides, what’s a hug between two men anyway, right? Wrong.
These four cowards(we have other choice words for them that we will refrain from using) attacked them, beating them even while they tried to run away. Well, after the photos of the suspects came out, they turned themselves in to the police.
We are still waiting to see if the state attorney’s office decides that this is hate crime or just a felony aggravated assault. Let’s see — attacked for being gay and being called homophobic slurs while being beaten unconscious? You’d have to be unconscious not to rule this a hate crime.
3. Kill the Gays 2.0
We’ve previously reported on the hateful 2014 Ugandan “Kill the Gays” bill that was struck down the same year. It made worldwide news, thanks to consistent reporting from the likes of Rachel Maddow. How could we allow this criminalization of humans simply based on who they love?
We were relieved in 2014 when it failed to become a reality, but this week, members of parliament in Uganda have called for the law to be reintroduced. The evil queen in parliament that has been working against LGBTQ rights in Uganda has a name: Rebecca Kadaga. She was one of the original leaders behind the “Kill the Gays” bill.
Creating such a dangerous environment for any of the citizens of Uganda should be enough to make you pay attention, but her hate goes deep and wide — homosexuality is still illegal there. It’s time to put the pressure on and let her — and anyone that supports her — knows that we will come for them if they come for our Ugandan family.
4. So GLAAD to be here.
On Thursday night, we attended the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. Our amazing friend from Hilton invited us to be at his table at the iconic Beverly Hilton (where we held our wedding!). The night was brewing with excitement — Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon were there to see Ricky Martin give Britney Spears the Vanguard Award. She graciously accepted and gave a short but sweet speech thanking the LGBTQ community for “Unconditional Love.”
Jim Parsons also won an award, and was surprised by having the entire cast of Boys in the Band join him on stage for his acceptance speech — truly, one of the highlights of the night.
But it was Lena Waithe’s speech for winning Outstanding Individual Episode that made us jump to our feet. She schooled the room on how we sometimes take aim at each other — but when we’re unified, there is no “weapon they can create” that can hurt us.
She made reference to us already being “others” so we shouldn’t “other” ourselves by being segregated within our own community. Now that’s something to be GLAAD about. Watch the GLAAD awards this Wednesday, April 18 on Logo at 8 p.m.
5. Our Whack Job of the Week: 1000 Flags Company
As we get closer and closer to Pride month, a company called 1000 Flags has started selling Straight Pride flag pins. Apparently, straight pride is a thing at least to a few people. Why exactly do we need this pin? What discrimination has the straight community endured? What struggles have they had to overcome?
The Amazon reviews of the pin are hilarious — our favorite is the one that compares the look of the pin to a piece of bacon. Due to the backlash, Amazon ended up removing the pins from purchase — but if you search hard enough, you can still buy them, along with the LGBTQ Pride flag pins the company also sells.
