August 2021 - Page 2

Mj Rodriguez from POSE is nominated on Emmy

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Pose (stylized as POSE) is an American drama television series about New York City’s African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming drag ball culture scene in the 1980s.  Featured characters are dancers and models, who compete for trophies and recognition in this underground culture and who support one another.

From Characters of Pose, there is Mj Rodrigez, who takes brit place in these movie.Rodriguez, who is currently gearing up for her first Emmy ceremony as a nominated actress. Earlier this year, the performer made history when she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Blanca Evangelista in the final season of Pose, making her the first trans person nominated for a major acting Emmy.

Mj Rodriguez, under her recording artist moniker Michaela Jaé, released her debut single “Something to Say” during the height of Pride Month, it felt like perfect timing.

Speaking to Variety recently about her character’s ultimate outcome, Rodriguez said she was “elated and happy to see that there was a woman of the trans experience who was of color and had a strong Black man who was getting behind her, pushing her forward.”

Although Pose is over, it’s clear that Rodriguez isn’t going anywhere. With the Emmys only a month away, the premiere of Loot on the horizon, and her music career quickly kicking into overdrive, the multi-talented performer is only just beginning — and she has every intention to continue using her platform to help trans people everywhere.

“My goal is that my artistry, whether it’s acting or music, changes the minds of people who hate or choose not to understand,” she recently told Shape. “I hope it helps them realize that just because I’m a woman of the trans experience, that doesn’t mean I have an agenda to harm. Instead, I want to let others know what humans are like, how some of us work, and what we have to offer.”

Source: them.us

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Q-Force – New animated queer series with drag shows and queer spies

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The NETFLIX series on queer investigators and spies has been awaited by many. The animated series combines gay, lesbian, transgender and gay characters. The main characters are voiced by such rock artists as Wanda Sykes, Sean Hayes, Patti Harrison and Matt Rogers.

The series will feature plenty of drag show queens and twinks.

Watch the trailer of the animated series:

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Safe/Heaven: The Queer Life of the 1950s

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In the 1950s and 1960s, in the pre-Stonewall period, Cherry Grove Beach became a haven for gay people. As a result of homophobic persecution, the coast turned out to be a kind of paradise for queer people, where they gathered, united, could socialize and express themselves.

We offer unique photos from the queer life of the 50s, which is full of positive and funny shots:

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Hot House, 1958, gathering on the beach

Patricia Fitzgerald and Kay Guinness, September 1952

Men on the beach, approx. 1950

1959 year

Diaper Party, II, 1951

DJ Beast and Candy Stevens, Ice Palace, 1980

Patricia Fitzgerald, Kay Guinness, Mary Ronin and B. Greer, Duffy’s Hotel, 1950

Ed Burke in Mermaid Costume, 1951

Community House, Woman in Headscarf, September 1954

Hot House, 1958

One Hundred Club Party, 1949

Bea’s Brunch, 1951

Parasol Party, 1951

source: advocate.com

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Lonely Boys Paradise – Queer Photo series by Butu Bilikhodze

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Contemporary Georgian art is no longer afraid of homophobic environment. In recent years, many queer artists have become more active, trying to portray and empower LGBTQ+ people with their creativity. Art can play a huge role in defeating homophobia and help to portray queer people from various angles that are usually either covered up or misinterpreted by the state, church, and radical groups.

Here’s an interview with a beginner photographer Butu Bilikhodze (@kaonashi_i), whose first homoerotic photo project LONELY BOYS PARADISE was created to strengthen the queer community and show the vulnerability of the male body.

What were your first steps into photography like?

 I first bought a camera in 2009, it was an old, very low-quality Soviet film camera. This is when my friendship with a camera began. I always liked to take photos of people. The first steps were more about entertainment, I liked the chemistry and character that film camera has. I did try digital format too, but I didn’t really like it so I soon sold the camera. I didn’t take photos for a bit due to a worldwide shortage of film. I have been more actively engaged in it in the past 2-3 years, I have a few cameras of different formats.

What helped you the most in shaping your vision?

I have been interested in homoeroticism for the last few years. I shoot male bodies. I’m not sure what’s causing that. I have a lot of good photographer friends both in Georgia and abroad, maybe they also played a role. Years ago I was a model myself, hired by very talented and successful Georgian and non-Georgian photographers. From that moment on, I wanted to be on the other side of the camera, taking photos. I was actively looking through homoerotic images. I took it for the first time with a friend, very spontaneously and when I saw the photos I realized that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m supposed to be taking photos of naked boys.

 

What do you think Georgian queer photography is lacking the most?

I wish there was more courage and more openness in queer photography. Georgian society is very small and this is a new topic, but I expect that there will be more positive steps within the community. I often find it hard to get models to shoot, they don’t want their face to be visible. But there are people who do not care about this, which makes me happy and makes me think that more attitudes are changing and we will live in a more open society in a few years.

 

How did the idea for Lonely Boys Paradise come into being and who are the people behind your camera lens?

The idea of my first, and currently only project came to me when I was taking photos of my friends completely spontaneously, a beautiful song was playing in the background and I heard this name in the lyrics.

Models are often my friends, acquaintances, ordinary people from Instagram. The project has its own character: beautiful, normal, and sad boys, that feel lonely. They live, walk, study, have friends but still feel abandoned. I want to show this sad world through light and delicate shots.

 

What messages are you sending to Georgian queer society with this photo series?

My main message and goal is to show people interested in photography the beauty of a man’s body, the tenderness that a man’s body has that everyone tries to hide. I want the society to have more acceptance towards bodies and to be able to get aesthetic pleasure from our or another person’s naked body, it is very beautiful. More courage and fortitude is needed.

Georgia is considered a homophobic country, so it is very difficult to photograph homoeroticism, find a model and explain it to them. However, I seem to be like and I often shoot boys, often as their faces are not visible, but still. With the help of these photos and others, I am in search of myself and I also try to help others to find themselves. That is why I want to dedicate this article to all the boys who are on the path of discovering their own bodies, looking for their own way, their own voice and their own opportunities in Georgia or abroad. You are not alone!

 

What should we be expecting in the future from you? 

Right now I am working on a few topics which I will be starting in the nearest future. The theme is still homoeroticism and male nudity. I am interested in 70-80 gay aesthetics. I really like it and I want to be around this kind of chemistry.

Some foreign queer blogs are texting me for collaboration. I will not hesitate to say that there are certain things that I want to study more thoroughly, both the technical side and the substantive one.

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Stars Who Identify as Members of the LGBT+ Community

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Decades ago, many people in Hollywood had to hide their identities in order not to tarnish their reputation. A clear example of this is Rock Hudson, the rising star of the Golden Age Hollywood, who, even while at the peak of his career, kept his sexual orientation a secret.

The situation soon changed, as a result of the active battle of activists and supporters, today the film, music or other arts and entertainment industries are showing more openness to LGBT + issues. Even celebrities find it easier to publicly come out.

Here is a list of celebrities who belong to the LGBT + family, are proud and try to empower community members around the world with their creativity.

Miley Cyrus

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Miley Cyrus, the star of Hannah Montana and the undisputed leader of the billboard charts, told her mother at the age of 14 that she is pansexual and does not need to choose a particular gender for love. In 2015, the actor finally confirmed this to the Times. The young star does not shy away from showing off her sexuality, in 2014 she also founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, which helps young LGBT + people.

Eliot Page

Eliot Page is another transgender actor known to moviegoers from Juno, Inception and The Umbrella Academy. The actress announced in December 2020 that he is transgender.

Ben Platt

The Broadway stage star, singer and Tony Award-winning actor, unlike other LGBT + Hollywood stars, was never hidden and his orientation has been known since the beginning of his career. The actor says that Coming out is not completely safe even in Hollywood, though he is not intimidated by the potential rejection of producers, casting managers and directors.

Sam Smith

Grammy and many other awards winner Sam Smith, in an Instagram post in 2019, addressed their fans and the media that their pronouns were They / them. The singer identifies as non-binary and takes an active part in advocating for the LGBT + community.

Demi Lovato

Former Disney star and musician Demi Lovato calls themselves queer and says that love has no gender and they are happy with their identity.

Lil Nas X 

Growing up in a conservative environment, the young star, while living in Atlanta, could not even imagine that he would ever  come out publicly and would no longer have to live in a closet. Everything changed at the age of 19 when the hip-hop artist released Old Town Road and soon acquired an army of fans.

Ariana Grande

People first started talking about the identity of Ariana Grande, the princess of modern pop, in 2019, when the pop star released the song “Monopoly”, the singer was accused of queerbaiting . The singer rejected this theory and stated in her post that she does not feel the need to attribute herself to any group.

Jim Parsons

Jim Parson, star of The Big Bang Theory and owner of 4 Amys, came out publicly in an interview with The New York Times in 2012, and as he recalls today, it was a great relief for him. Sheldon Cooper continues to advocate for the LGBT + community to this day.

Andrew Scott

Everyone remembers the hot priest from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s  TV series Fleabag, Andrew Scott is another actor who does not hide his sexuality and did not shy away from publicly coming out.

Azealia Banks

The 30-year-old star was accused of homophobia in 2015 for using a gay slur, which was soon followed by the actress’s statement that she is bisexual and she has lots of queer friends.

Sarah Paulson

Emmy, Golden Globe and many other award winner Sarah Paulson has been out for years and is actively working to protect LGBT rights and create memorable queer characters for TV and movie screens.

Frank Ocean

One of the most influential young stars of the hip-hop scene posted a post on his personal Tumblr account in 2012 where he spoke about his love for men. The singer is still actively responding to the challenges of the LGBT + community and with his creativity is trying to increase the visibility of the queer community.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is another star who came out publicly in 2008 as a bisexual. The singer is often criticized and it is believed that this move was made by her to attract fans, however Gaga denies this and has been actively supporting LGBT people for many years.

Gillian Anderson

Sex Education, The Crown and X-files actress Gillian Anderson told the Telegraph in a 2015 interview that she was in a relationship with a woman a few years ago. The actress also mentioned that in case of such a relationship in the future she would not hide it.

Kristen Stewart

“Twilight” star Kristen Stewart does not deny that she is bisexual, she says identity is very changeable and she is happy that talking about it in modern Hollywood is no longer difficult. The actress was in a romantic relationship with French musician Soko.

Fergie

Although the rising star of the Black-Eyed Peas in the 2000s has been married to Josh Duhamel for 10 years, she has never denied being bisexual and is proud of it.

Drew Barrymore

In 2003, Drew Barrymore publicly came out and said she was bisexual, also the actress never shied away from talking about mental health-related stigmas and addictions in her public speeches.

Hunter Schaefer

The 22-year-old transgender star of Euphoria, the model of Dior, Miu Miu, Prada, Vera Wang and other famous fashion houses, publicly says that she does not identify herself as a cisgendered woman and it would be more correct if fans perceive her as a transgender lesbian woman.

Laverna Cox

Lavern Cox has was a transgender prisoner in the popular Orange Is The New Black, the first transgender actress to win a prestigious Emmy nomination.

Billy Porter

Pose star Billy Porter is another actor who does not shy away from talking openly about sexuality and his own identity. The gay star says he had to endure a lot of humiliation at school, but he still continued to make his dreams come true.

Sia

Chandelier and Elastic Heart singer Sia was released in 2013 and has been actively supporting LGBT + and advocating for their rights ever since.

Ezra Miller

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Ezra Miller noted that he does not identify himself with a gay identity, his identity is more fluid and open to people of any gender and identity. The queer actor is a proponent of polyamory and often delights fans with his bold photoshoots and fabulous costumes from the red carpet.

Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne is another bisexual actress whose identity was called a phase by a Vogue journalist. The actress responded to the journalist’s remarks from the New York Times and once again confirmed her identity.

Ben Wishow

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The 40-year-old British actor of “Perfume” and “Cloud Atlas” has avoided public speaking about his identity for many years, saying in various publications that it is not the actor’s duty to speak publicly about his personal life. The actor came out in 2013 and is still in a romantic relationship with Australian actor Mark Bradshaw.

Ruby Rose

Australian actress and model Ruby Rose came out at the age of 12, which was followed by great pressure and aggression from her classmates. The actress was also thinking about changing her gender, however, later, at the beginning of her modeling career, she realized that changing her gender was not necessary for her and that she could express her identity in a variety of ways.

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Georgian Queer Activists Attended Amsterdam Pride

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Queer activists Giorgi Tabagari and Tamaz Sozashvili attended the Amsterdam Pride week, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and offered more than 300 events to the guests during the week.

Before that, however, a Pride March was held on the streets of Amsterdam on July 7, which was attended by up to 15,000 people. Georgian queer activists had the opportunity to meet local activists, journalists and supporters. They spoke in various terms about the events of July 5-6- in Tbilisi, the inaction of the state and the encouraged violence.

July 31 started with the presentation of the “Zero Flags Project”, the week ended with a ceremonious event on August 8.

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Petition – Justice for Lekso Lashkarava and Tbilisi Pride

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All Out is a global movement that mobilizes people all over the world to protect LGBTQ+ rights. The motto of the movement is “No one’s family, freedom, security and dignity should be sacrificed for what orientation they are and who they love.”

In countries where LGBTQI + people face crisis and threat, All Out works closely with partners to create universal petitions.

All Out runs three types of campaigns: the so-called Pressure campaigns, that start with online petitions and target decision makers.

Through fundraising campaigns, All Out raises donations online to collectively fund the work of local groups around the world that fight to eliminate inequality, discrimination and injustice against LGBTQ+ people. All Out has so-called Member campaigns that allow all members to launch their own campaigns on the All Out platform on any LGBTQ+ topic.

Using this platform, the petition was spread at the initiative of Tamaz Sozashvili, the co-founder of Tbilisi Pride, which was devoted to the events that took place in Tbilisi on July 5-6. The title of the petition is “Justice for Lekso Lashkarava and Tbilisi Pride”.

According to the petition:

“On July 5, we were forced to cancel the March of Dignity after a homophobic mob stormed the offices of Tbilisi Pride and the Shame Movement. Neo-fascist groups carried out horrific violent attacks throughout the city. A Polish tourist that had an earring was hurt during this period. On July 5, activists and journalists who were broadcasting the events live were attacked by a violent mob. More than 50 people were injured. Among them was Lekso Lashkarava, the cameraman of TV Pirveli, who died six days after the brutal attack.

It was a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. It was the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community that the Georgian government did not prevent from happening. Prior to the events, the Orthodox Church and Georgian government officials even worsened the violence when the activists were receiving death threats.

Sign the petition and demand justice for Lekso Lashkarava and Tbilisi Pride.

You can also join the petition here.

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A transgender woman was verbally harassed

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A media portal Formula spreads information on this subject. In a conversation with Formula, Madonna talks about the what happened:

“There were many of them, but two of them were especially aggressive. They were swearing at me, screaming inappropriate phrases and threatening me. I got scared that they would beat me up so I tried to avoid them. I called the police and when they arrived, the men told them that they hadn’t said anything inappropriate, they were just fulfilling the Georgian law. What does the Georgian law mean, are we in Taliban?”

According to her, the life for transgender people has become even more dangerous after July 5th.

“Before that they might’ve just mumbled something, but now they approach you and scream at you right away. I connect all of this with July 5th. If it wasn’t for that day, I don’t think that they wouldn’t dare so many things.” – She says.

 

Source: ფორმულა

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The Formula 1 Champion Has Protested Against Discriminatory Legislation in Hungary

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German Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel wore a Pride T-shirt during the national anthem at the Hungarian Grand Prix, for which he was reprimanded.

The car race was held on August 1 in Budapest, Hungary, where a new law prohibits the display of LGBT + symbols in the media, school materials and advertisements.

Vetel, who represented Aston Martin, wore a rainbow T-shirt with the inscription SAME LOVE. Three other drivers – Mercedes Walter Botas, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Vettel’s teammate Lance Stroll – wore T-shirts with the words WE RACE AS ONE.

Getty/ Pool/ FLORION GOGA

According to the race leader, Michael Massey, drivers are required to wear racing shirts during the national anthem of the Hungarian Grand Prix, so each driver was reprimanded for “not following the official instructions for a safe and orderly event”.

”I heard it happened because I did not wear a T-shirt during the national anthem, I am happy if they disqualify me. They can do what they want, I do not care. I would still do the same, ” Vettel said in an interview.

source: pinknews.co.uk

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A Transgender Woman Was Attacked in Tbilisi

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On August 9, a transgender woman was verbally and physically assaulted near a circus in Tbilisi. The motive for the crime was gender intolerance.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the incident. They are being charged with an organized crime.

The investigation is underway under Article 126, Part 1, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisages imprisonment for up to 2 years.

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