Documentary Investigates 88 Suspicious Deaths of Gay Men in Sydney

Please tell me this will air in the U.S.

Towleroad reports that a new Australian multimedia project is aiming to investigate whether as many as 88 deaths in Sydney from the 1970s onward, including 30 unsolved cases, were gay hate crimes. Deep Water will include a documentary, a podcast, an online interactive hub and a four-part fictional drama.

Among the 30 unsolved murders, the project examines the case of U.S.-born Scott Johnson, right, who was found dead in 1998 near a well-known cruising area in Sydney. Johnson’s death was ruled a suicide the following year. However, in 2012 the New South Wales deputy state coroner overturned the suicide finding. She could not determine how Johnson died.

Learn more HERE.

Austin Armacost Can't Keep His Clothes On

If the reality TV personality's new calendar is any indication, 2017 is going to be a memorable year!

Follow on Instagram HERE.

Roy Moore, Alabama Chief Justice, Suspended Over Gay Marriage Order

This should have happened YEARS ago. But I will file it under Better Late Than Never. Read HERE.

Bed Head

From HERE.

"What? I knew if I kept clawing long enough this duvet had a secret cat pouch." #HarveyTheCat

Carnegie Deli to Close at End of 2016

I could understand if someone thought I was one of those "New York's not what it used to be" people, given my frequent documentation of the changes to my beloved Chelsea neighborhood. But the truth is I do get that every generation says that -- and even the people who lived here in my dream early '80s were bitching about the Yuppies and how money had ruined the city they knew in the '60s and '70s. (If they only knew!). Still, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. That said, there are some things that I think every generation can agree upon, and the idea of a New York City without Carnegie Deli -- an institution since 1937 -- is just not right.

Owner Marian Harper Levine tearfully broke the news that she was closing up at the end of the year to 60 employees on Friday morning. Levine, 65, said, “At this stage of my life, the early mornings to late nights have taken a toll, along with my sleepless nights and grueling hours that come with operating a restaurant business.” “I’m very sad to close the Carnegie Deli but I’ve reached the time of my life when I need to take a step back,” Levine said. Her family has owned the Carnegie since 1976.

My mom always used NYC-centric expressions like "She belongs in Bellevue" and "Stop opening and closing the doors -- this isn't Grand Central Station." And referring to ridiculously sized food has been synonymous with Carnegie Deli, long before I first set foot in the place with my friend Jean and wound up eating a mile-high sandwich next to Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. I'd wanted to go there ever since I saw a table of comedians tell the story of a hapless talent agent in Woody Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose." Such a pity that future generations will never be able to experience it for themselves.

On the Rag, Vol. 427

Here's hoping Frontiers and Next are back publishing again soon. The idea of the nation's two biggest cities not having their gay rags is very sad.

QX (London): Austin Armacost talks partying, pantos and politics / Read HERE.

 Get Out: Dominique Jackson has been chosen as one of the transgender stars of Oxygen’s newest program, “Strut,” produced by Whoopi Goldberg. Read HERE.

Go inside the Chulo underwear fashion show at the Ritz HERE.

Cybersocket: Cool new sex toys and more. Info HERE.

Frontiers (L.A.): Visit Folsom Street Fair HERE.

Metro Weekly (D.C.): Olney and Round House join forces for an "Angels in America" that speaks as much to the present as it does to the past / Read HERE.

Next: 11 Questions With Instagram Hunk Justin Bach HERE.

Porn-star trio dishes on their new sex toys / Read HERE.

GT (London): Mykki Blanco on the "homophobic" industry and the glass ceiling queer artists face / Read HERE.

 Max Emerson and CJ Koegel tour New York City in their underwear / Read HERE.

Echo (Phoenix): Fairy Bones drops new singles ahead of Rainbows Festival performance / Read HERE.

Next (Florida): Meet Gary Lavard: One Scene at a Time / Read HERE.

Lavender (Twin Cities): The beauty and style issue is out now / Info HERE.

Gloss (SF): Get to know Scott Wiener, Democrat for State Senate / Info HERE. 

Adelante: How do you say PrEP in Spanish? Info HERE.

Winq: Catch up with family man Ricky Martin HERE. And see what's new with Sophie Ellis-Bextor HERE.

Q Salt Lake Magazine: We've all been there! From HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Youth Coup'/'Rock Against Romance' by Holly and the Italians

It's hard to believe it was the same woman who recorded "The Right to Be Italian" and the confusingly named solo album "Holly and the Italians," but that's just how talented Holly Beth Vincent was. Whereas the album from which these two songs came was polished power pop, the followup was delicate and artsy, replacing New Wave guitar licks with mandolins and violins to create an cluttered yet incredibly intimate sound, The Chicago-born singer/songwriter/guitarist has never been wholly recognized for her genius, but will occasionally turn up on "best albums you've never heard" lists. I'm grateful I'm not one of those people.

Morning Wood

Page 1 Roundup (09/30)

Feel so bad for this woman's friends and family / Read HERE.

Hoboken train-wreck investigators salvaging ‘black box’ recorders from scene / Read HERE.

Ex-Marine Describes Violent Hazing and the Lies That Covered It Up / Read HERE.

Who’s Demanding to See Hillary Clinton’s Birth Certificate? Baffled Astrologers

Tongue-in-cheek story from my friend and colleague Yogita. For those wondering, my 12:08 p.m. birth time explains why I like to wake up at that time every day, and reveals strong Gemini-Uranus influences ... huh-huh.

Publisher of Next and Frontiers Shut Down; CEO Promises to Fight On

In financially sounder times ...

Like the convoluted Here Media/Regent Entertainment/Alyson Books/PlanetOut Inc. debacle before it, this is not an easy-to-follow story. But the short version seems to be that Multimedia Platforms, which now includes Next Magazine in New York (which had already bought longtime competitor HX), Frontiers in Los Angeles and Florida Agenda (as well Guy magazine, which has been rebranded Next South Florida), has laid off all of its employees and ceased production.

According to South Florida Gay News:

CEO Bobby Blair put out a press release indicating that a court order had been issued seizing the assets of his company, and a restraining order “has been issued prohibiting the company from distributing any cash or any other assets of the company.” Lenders in the State of Massachusetts apparently filed the action.

In an effort to explain the company’s present difficulties, Blair told SFGN “for the record, I was re-appointed CEO last week as I became informed all this was happening by management. The last 4 months I have not been involved or included in any day-to-day business or involved in this now disputed credit facility.”

Blair indicated in private emails to colleagues, which are being circulated in social media, that he has retained counsel to “fight” the seizure but has refused, as of this time, to name the lawyers or the court where the action is proceeding. His representation to one party was that “new management signed a horrible deal that I have now to fix.”

But for now all local and national operations have been shut down. There will be no papers or magazines this week.

I hope it works out for him. No matter the outcome, though, it's clear that print media is in dire straights -- and LGBT outlets have been particularly hurt by the shift to online information. I reached out to Bobby for comment but have not heard back from him.

Coffee Talk

Any locals know what went down at 21st/7th at the Espresso Matto (formerly Filicori Zecchini)? My source -- a man who screams expletives from his wheelchair at passersby and asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter -- says he heard an employee (who was a "nasty bitch" to him over a tuna sandwich in the past) had been sexually assaulted. Then he paused and said he thinks it's more likely someone was murdered. 

Normally I would assume it was something related to not paying rent ...

But I'm pretty sure that usually looks more like this. If you know anything, please contact me HERE.

Snake in the Grass

What's going on in Dan Osborne's SWEATPANTS?

Hoboken Train Crash Leaves at Least 1 Dead; About 100 Hurt

Woke up to a bunch of security alerts from work to make sure I was OK after a commuter train crashed at a station in Hoboken, N.J., during the morning rush, killing at least one person and injuring about 100 others, a number of them seriously. Happy to report that all of my Jersey pals -- a lot of the people I work with live over there because some of our offices used to be in Harboside -- and I are all right. Sending good thoughts to everyone who was affected.

From HERE.

Play to Win

Taking It Easy in Winslow, Arizona

The Associated Press reports that a life-sized bronze statue of late musician Glenn Frey of the Eagles has been installed in the "Standing On The Corner" Park in Winslow, Arizona. It joins the statue that many feel looks like Jackson Browne that has stood in the city's downtown area since the late 1990s. Browne and Frey co-wrote the Eagles' song "Take It Easy" in 1972 that included the lyric "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona." Frey died in January at age 67.

Song of the Day: 'Holy Commotion' by the Pretenders

Get "Alone" HERE.

Thrilling that Chrissie Hynde still delivers new music I can get into, even if she's really just a solo artist flip-flopping between monikers.

Morning Wood

Kind of reminds me of a 21st century version of THIS.

Page 1 Roundup (09/29)

I think Tim Tebow hit a home run the first time he put on THOSE WORKOUT CLOTHES

Neighbors witnessed warning signs of abuse long before bruise-covered Zymere Perkins, 6, died in Harlem / Read HERE.

Congress Votes to Override Obama Veto on 9/11 Victims Bill / Read HERE.

Mascots Are Getting a Hall of Fame and It’s Making Benny the Bull Emotional / Read HERE.

Randy Rainbow for President

The debate proved to be catnip to my favorite Internet gaylebrity! Watch HERE.

All the 'Right' Moves

Sex on a reality TV show, a Playboy photo shoot, threats to kill a judge and claims a drug lord fathered her baby: The truth about Miss Piggy, the beauty queen now banging the drum for Hillary

The right can trash Alicia Machado all they want -- she's a public person, after all. But in addition to lacking empathy, the thing that really sets Republicans apart from Democrats is their complete lack of critical-thinking skills. Note to members of the Grand Old Party: When someone makes an accusation that cannot be verified one way or another, THAT'S WHEN scrutinizing their credibility makes sense. But when a person is merely pointing out being mistreated by someone -- which has been captured on film, written about by the abuser in his own book and repeated by the abuser on national television after you called him out on it -- digging up every unsavory thing you can find about them in response just makes you (and your party) look worse than you already do. They really don't get it, do they?

UPDATE:

A week later and he's still up in the middle of the night going nuts about this. Listen to me clearly because this is where we now are: If you aren't voting for Hillary Clinton, then you have a problem with women for which you need to get serious help.