The big news of the day for LGBT Americans is President Obama’s vocal support of marriage equality which he stated in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts. After the jump, read just a select few tweets from LGBT celebs who took to the Twitter-verse with their responses to Obama.
LGBT celebs tweet responses to Obama’s support of marriage equality
GBM News posts its top gay celebrities of color
CNN anchor tops GBM News' list.
Over the weekend, GBM News executive editor Nathan James posted his top 15 gay celebs of color. His list started as a response to MSN’s Wonderwall listing of its top queer celebs wielding the most influence, but was also noticeably lacking in its diverse demographics (save for Perez Hilton, who is of Cuban descent).
James’ list introduces some gay celebs people might not immediately consider such as singer Tracy Chapman at No. 8 or CNN anchor Don Lemon at the top of the list. But I’m not really sure how he figures in Noah’s Arc alum Darryl Stephens’ guest stint on Private Practice at No. 11 as influential or RuPaul’s relatively low ranking at No. 7. While he does include George Takei in the mix, his list lacks any Latinos. That begs the question: Where is Ricky Martin? From James on GBM News:
One of the “interesting” things about their list, was that there wasn’t a single gay celebrity of color on it. I bethought myself to rectify that oversight by creating and publishing my own list of the 15 most powerful gay celebrities of color. The response I got from that piece was, by far, the most overwhelming public reaction to any article I’d ever written up to that time. Some applauded my choices, others vehemently disagreed with them, and still others asked why their own personal choices missed the cut. Well, this year, I’m at it again, with a completely new list that’s sure to provoke more debate and stir more passionate discussion. Submitted for your approval, here are my picks for the fifteen most powerful gay celebrities for 2012!
Of course, these lists are all subjective, but James thankfully adds to the conversation of who gays and lesbians may see as influential within the community.
Will any of One Direction come out? These boy bands from the past give us reason to wonder
The boy band phenomenon seems to be on the comeback with groups like The Wanted and Hot Chelle Rae making waves. But One Direction quickly has risen to the top of the heap causing a new British Invasion among mobs of teenage girls waiting to marry any one of the five singers. Cute boys. Pop songs. Big sellers. They have all the makings of hit makers following in the footsteps of ‘N Sync. Now we’re just wondering who will be the next Lance Bass. Some people have already been asking, anyway, so why can’t we?
These boy bands have all had members come out later in their career and for that we are thankful. So Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry or Louis, if any of you taste the rainbow down the road, you’ll be in pretty good company.
Fox goes uber-gay with ‘Allen Gregory,’ ‘American Dad’
Say what you want about their news channel and their leadership, but Sunday night on the Fox broadcast network was about as gay as TV gets.
It started, of course, with The Simpsons, one of the most gay-friendly shows on TV (though Sunday night’s was only gayish — it dealt with foodies). Also on deck was Family Guy — again, a tres gay series with a queer little baby who wants to take over the world and characters who break out into Broadway production numbers at the drop of a hat. We’re used to that.
But it reached new heights of homophilia with Allen Gregory and American Dad.
Allen Gregory is the new series from Jonah Hill. The premise of the show is already inherently queer: Two gay dads, pictured, rear their pretentious little 7-year-old Allen Gregory. There have been, in the previous few outings, several jokes per episode about gay sex between the pompous dad Richard (voiced by French Stewart) and his butch, derided partner Jeremy. But last night, not only were the dads central characters, the plot was all about a school dance where all the students in the elementary school were expected to ask same-sex partners to the dance. This is edgy stuff for established cable shows, but for “family night” on a freshman series?! Wow. The episode was not only funny (I’m already a huge fan of the series), but also witheringly insightful about perceptions of gay people. And the attempted seduction of Jeremy by Richard (including dropped towel) was hilarious.
That was followed by American Dad — again, well-established with a gay history, from the out couple across the street to the fey alien Roger who lives in the attic. But Roger finally met someone romantic … and it turned out the be Ricky Martin. The episode included Ricky and Roger kissing on a couch (and they were really going at it). You gotta love that!
I hope the ratings for both shows are good, and they are certainly worth a Hulu.com (here for American Dad, here for Allen Gregory) visit. Enjoy!
WATCH: CSS at the Granada and Ricky Martin at Verizon Theatre on Friday
Friday night was big for LGBT music as CSS, pictured, and Ricky Martin hit the town. CSS is primarily made up of LGBT-ers, but that’s not a thing with them. In this 2008 interview, the Brazilian band just wants to rock it and the video below shows they probably did just that.
Ricky Martin was all kinds of sexy at Verizon delivering an energetic show from the start. Even the ballads were pumped up as the audience sang along with every word. He knocked this show out of the park and his fan base hasn’t seemed to wane a bit ever since he came out last year. He encore’d with “The Best Thing About Me is You,” which is the video below (with singalong). Also, view our slideshow from the concert here.
Ricky Martin at Verizon Theatre
Pink Noise: The Dallas Voice Podcast
This week we talked about the Dallas County Commissioners Court’s upcoming vote on transgender protections; Commissioner Maurine Dickey and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit; the Texas A&M Student Senate’s anti-gay vote this week; the controversial decision to charge admission for the Festival in Lee Park; Ricky Martin’s show in Dallas last night; and more.
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Ricky Martin tonight at Verizon Theatre
La vida out and proud
Not only did Ricky Martin come out in one of the most eloquent ways ever, he took to using his celebrity in advocating for LGBT rights. That only made him sexier than he already is. As if he needed to add to his hotness, he’s been baring a whole lot more skin lately — and we likey.
DEETS: Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place., Grand Prairie 8 p.m. $40–$126. Ticketmaster.com.
Weekly Best Bets
Friday 04.22
Life is a … oh, you know it
This doesn’t look like your usual Liza version. The Dallas Theater Center stages the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret, and by the looks of their ad campaign, it’s going to be sizzling. Sure Sally Bowles is the central character, but weren’t you always intrigued by the mysterious master of ceremonies? We’re even more so now.
DEETS: Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St. Through May 22. $10–$80. DallasTheaterCenter.org.
Friday 04.22
La vida out and proud
Not only did Ricky Martin come out in one of the most eloquent ways ever, he took to using his celebrity in advocating for LGBT rights. That only made him sexier than he already is. As if he needed to add to his hotness, he’s been baring a whole lot more skin lately — and we likey.
DEETS: Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place., Grand Prairie 8 p.m. $40–$126.
Ticketmaster.com.
Saturday 04.23
Street art a different way
Before celebrating Easter in the Park, check-in to the Cedar Springs Art Festival. Local art, food booths and snowcones make this a must. Plus, it’s probably the only art fest with dance music.
DEETS: Cedar Springs Road and Throckmorton Street. 10 a.m. Free. ShopCedarSprings.com.
What’s Brewing: Tea party mixes in social issues; details in anti-gay stoning; GLAAD Media Awards
Your weekday morning blend from Instant Tea:
1. Surprise!!! The tea party in Texas isn’t concerned only with fiscal issues, according to The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Turns out, it also contains its fair share of homophobes, racists and misogynists: “Tea parties arose out of concern for liberty and fiscal issues,” says tea-bagging State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford. “However, you have a lot of people in the tea party groups in Texas that are focused on abortion, defense of marriage.” So let me see if I understand this — the tea party in Texas wants to shrink government if it means lower taxes for rich people, but wants to expand government if it means denying rights to minority groups? How convenient.
2. A 28-year-old murder suspect in Pennsylvania told authorities he killed his elderly victim by beating him with rocks because the Bible says homosexuals should be stoned to death. John Joe Thomas said he murdered 70-year-old Murray Joseph Seidman after the older man made sexual advances toward him. In fact, though, the two had been close companions and Thomas had been named executor and sole beneficiary of Seidman’s will. They met when Thomas was a patient at a psychiatric ward where Seidman worked. Thomas had recently been trying to get more money from Seidman, according to the victim’s brother. And Thomas became a suspect in Seidman’s murder after being picked up on other charges — indecent exposure, open lewdness, and disorderly conduct.
3. Russell Simmons and Ricky Martin were among those honored at the GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday in New York. Martin, who finally came out last March, took home the Vito Russo Award for promoting equality. Watch video of his acceptance speech below. For a full list of award winners, go here.
