Remains of the Day (06/24)

The Daily Beast: "Dick pic" pioneer Thomas Roberts on Stonewall 50: "I want LGBTQ kids to know it’s OK. It’s OK to be different, and OK to be gay"

Variety: LGBTQ activist David Mixner on what the Stonewall Riots mean 50 years later

Dlisted: An open posted hosted by the bear who broke into a house and got stuck in the laundry room

Back2Stonewall: More than 8,000 march in Kiev, Ukraine's Pride parade

The Conversation: Identifying a fake picture online is harder than you might think

NBC News: Supreme Court allows trademark for F-word soundalike clothing brand

Newsweek: 10 queer rebellions that rocked America before Stonewall

Washington Post:  Trump’s erratic policy moves put national security at risk, experts warn

City and State: The 2019 Pride Power 100 is here

Gr8er Days: Birthday boy Joe Penny was always a hot piece of ass

The New York Times: What happens after Amazon's domination is complete? Its bookstore offers clues

Towleroad: "American Crime" actor Connor Jessup comes out: "I’m grateful to be gay"

The Randy Report: Crowdfunding company GoFundMe has said, “No dough for you!” to sacked homophobic rugby star Israel Folau

TV Line: "First Wives Club" remake to launch BET+ streaming service in fall

Washington Blade: Activists say State Department has abandoned full support of LGBTQ people

Metrosource: This is what Sotheby's big gay pride auction will look like

Greg in Hollywood: One hot piece of ass from the past

Gay City News: Rashawn Brazell’s accused killer claims alibi

Hot Cat of the Day: Say hi to Felix, who allegedly survived a 35-minute "ride" in the washing machine

Remains of the Day (06/05)

The New York Times: Do yourself a favorite and watch Cheryl Furjanic's op-doc "Stonewall: The Making of a Monument"

Dlisted: The "Punky Brewster" sequel dozens were clamoring for is in the works

Instagram: Let's just say I can see why Aaron Schock was sniffing around Nick Sandell's jock

TV Line: Jussie Smollett not returning to "Empire," creator Lee Daniels confirms

Irish Central: Meet the cute Irishman who takes the world’s best animal selfies

Gr8er Days: Geena Davis is about to get an honorary Oscar. Doris Day never got one. But there's no crying in baseball. Full list of honorees

Esquire: Gay sex scene in "Rocketman" is a big step in the right direction

Instagram: Happy Pride from Anthony Bowens's pecs

YouTube: "Tales of the City" cast chats with GLAAD

Tennis: What's on the line when Rafael Nadal faces Roger Federer at the French Open

New York Post: I don't think anyone would not f**k this guy over how badly he screwed up a college football game

Queerty: George Michael leaves absolutely nothing to his boyfriend from his $98 million estate

BuzzFeed: A review of the Facebook accounts of thousands of officers around the U.S. -- the largest database of its kind -- found cops endorsing violence against Muslims, women and criminal defendants

Twitter: Sir Andy Murray has a message for tennis fans

Boy Culture: Boston's "Straight Pride"(!) parade organizers include gay turncoat

Greg in Hollywood: Gus Kenworthy’s postcards from the road of AIDS/LifeCycle: “Tired, sore and sunburnt”

Towleroad: YouTube says two-year targeted racist and homophobic harassment campaign against gay journalist does not violate policies

Instagram: My favorite Russian player of the oughts meets my favorite Russia player of today

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📽 from @可可西里 | DY 😄😄😄😄😄 ~ double tap ❤❤ . 🐱🐱Follow my other pages 👉 @lovecatdaily 👉 @happypetclubs #sweetcatclub

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Hot Cat of the Day: Now that looks comfortable! 

Remains of the Day (05/31)

The New York Times: No one knows who "threw the first brick" at Stonewall -- no, not even your aunt's gay best friend's brother -- but thank god someone did

ESPN: National Spelling Bee, at a loss for words, crowns eight co-champions

Pix11: NYC expecting 6 million visitors for Stonewall Uprising 50th anniversary

Variety: I'm ready to be in an abusive relationship with Alexander Skarsgaard again after after seeing how he looked at the "Big Little Lies" premiere

Catherine Rampell: Just a few of the reasons that Trump's Mexico tariffs are deeply stupid

Twitter: So I guess Gus Kenworthy won't be happy until he's officially broken the internet

The Hill: "None of the candidates have a kitty? I'm not voting in 2020" -- Bernie Cat Bros.

Dlisted: There are worse royals you could get knocked up by

The Daily News: Nebraska man sentenced for marrying, having sex with biological daughter after "jealous" competition with half-sister -- and yes, he has neck tattoos

Boy Culture: Did you want to see Elliot Meeten ass in a white Speedo on the beach?

Brian Raftery: Why 1999 was the best movie year ever

Back2Stonewall: Remembering the late Gilbert Baker, creator of the Rainbow flag

Variety: Matt Bomer reveals why he's co-hosting a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg; my guess is that we're starting to realize the mayor is kinda hot

Instagram: Isn't it about time Vasek Pospisil gave up tennis and called Bel Ami?

The Randy Report: I guess this explains why Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is so horrible to LGBTQ people 

BosGuy: Thank God It's Furry Friday

Towleroad: Lea Delaria talks about her new P-town nightclub where Rosie O'Donnell will perform on July 5

Gr8er Days: Happy birthday to Gregory Harrison, who looks especially sexy here in his tuxedo briefs

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From @tipsu.the.cat: “Almost got that🏐....need to practice more😼♥️” #catsofinstagram

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Hot Cat of the Day: Beauty in motion ... with fur.

Song of the Day: 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Madonna

Read all about Madonna's surprise New Year's Eve visit -- performing "Like a Prayer: and "Can't Help Falling in Love" -- at the Stonewall Inn HERE.

Lady Bunny Serves Up 'Christmas Leftovers' at the Stonewall Inn

I know where I'm taking my (visiting) brother Terence on Saturday!

Bunny returns to the Stonewall Inn for six shows in December from 12/22-12/30. Expect a giddy mix of warped seasonal favorites, lots of dish on everything from pop culture to Drag Race and plenty of new song parodies. Attempts at dancing will even be made.

Bianca Del Rio joins the fun in an audio cameo playing the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future in an utterly demented Scrooge-inspired skit that puts the Bunny back in Ebenezer. Bunion will mainly spread holiday cheer and glad tidings, trying to avoid the current toxic political scene. (She will try, but she may very well fail.) Leftovers refers to the fact that most of the performances are actually after Christmas Dayand to the fact that this is not a show like last years Trans-Jester! with any sort of point to be made. This is a wild mix of new material, raunchy carols and a few classics. Bunny has been very naughty this year, indeed! If you are prudish, religious or enjoy mainly polite humor, this probably isn't your cup of tea. But if you love to laugh, this is the holiday show for you! Co-written by Beryl Mendelbaum.

All performances are at 7PM, with doors at 6:30. Ages 21 and up with ID. Cash sales at the door when available. Seating is first come, first serve. Stonewall's upstairs cabaret is an intimate venue, so grab your tickets now!

Tickets HERE.

New York Stories 1979 Comes to the Stonewall Inn

Fresh off her acclaimed run of "David's Friend," Nora Burns returns to the Stonewall Inn tomorrow night for the latest installment of her New York Stories series, this time saying goodbye to the turbulent 1970s.

Cher, Madonna, Stevie Nicks and Others Contribute to Stonewall Fundraising Event

Celebrating the recent designation of the historic Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village, an online fundraising campaign centering on a celebrity auction commenced Oct. 25 and will run for two weeks. Cher, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Neil Patrick Harris, Andy Cohen, George Clooney and Taylor Swift are among the many stars who have donated items to the auction, which will raise funds to help maintain the Stonewall National Monument—the new unit of the National Park System that encompasses Christopher Park ( the oval public space bordered by Christopher Street, Grove Street and West 4th Street and situated directly across from the Stonewall Inn), the Stonewall Inn itself, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks that were the sight of the momentous 1969 Stonewall Uprising.

View/bid now HERE.

'Drunk History' Gets Wasted at the Stonewall Inn

This lesson on the Stonewall riots features performances by trans actresses Alexandra Grey as Marsha P. Johnson and Trace Lysette as Sylvia Rivera. Take note, Roland Emmerich. Go HERE.

President Obama Announces Designation of 'Stonewall National Monument' in New York City

We kind of knew it was coming -- but its timing couldn't be more perfect. 

From a White House release:

President Obama has sought to protect places that are culturally and historically significant, and that reflect the story of all Americans, including protecting about 265 million acres, more than any President in history. 

 That is why today, President Obama has designated a new national monument at the historic site of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, honoring the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality. The new Stonewall National Monument protects the area where LGBT people fought back against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. This moment is considered to be one of the major sparks of the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States. This designation is the first official National Park Service unit dedicated to telling a major episode in the history of LGBT Americans, just days before the one year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing marriage equality in all 50 States.

Chills. Here's wishing everyone a great pride weekend!

Obama Poised to Create Monument to Gay Rights Movement

Could this be a parting gift to the LGBT community, who has benefited from President Obama's time in office more than many?

The Washington Post reports:

President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement. While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this reflects the country’s diversity of terrain and peoples in a different vein: It would be the first national monument anchored by a dive bar and surrounded by a warren of narrow streets that long has been regarded the historic center of gay cultural life in New York City. Federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), will hold a listening session on May 9 to solicit feedback on the proposal. Barring a last-minute complication — city officials are still investigating the history of the land title — Obama is prepared to designate the area part of the National Park Service as soon as next month, which commemorates gay pride. 

 Keep reading HERE.

Transwoman Sexually Assaulted at Stonewall Inn

No, governors: Transwomen are not the ones raping people in bathrooms.

Guys: Please help catch this creep if you recognize him ...

Via The New York Post:

A transgender woman says she was sexually assaulted in a unisex bathroom at the Stonewall Inn — and police are searching for the suspect they say regularly frequents the landmark gay bar. 

Video surveillance clearly shows the woman entering the single-occupancy bathroom late Saturday night, soon followed by a man believed to be in his 30s, police sources say.
They remained in the bathroom for about eight minutes. That’s when the alleged rape took place, sources said. The suspect exited the bathroom, then walked back in.

The woman, who was believed to be heavily impaired by alcohol and possibly prescription pills, alerted friends and called 911 a short time later, sources said. She was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment. 

Sources said the suspect regularly patronizes the Christopher Street bar on Saturday nights and may have been dealing drugs there. 

“People inside the Stonewall know him,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. “We hope to have him identified in the next coming days.” 

Stonewall Inn, site of the Stonewall riots of 1969, is famed as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. 

“It’s a very disturbing incident taking place in a site that’s very important historically, where something good happened in terms of creating more opportunity for people to live their lives,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “and to see a violent incident like this is very troubling.”

Stonewall Inn Officially Named a City Historical Landmark

The Stonewall Inn has long been a landmark in the gay rights movement — and now it's official!

“It is a tremendous part of our history,” said Councilman Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), who represents the district and is gay. “Because of the real estate boom and pressures we’ve seen in the Village and all across Manhattan, we needed this further level of protection.”

I'll drink to this.

Now tell President Obama we need to create a national park for Stonewall. Sign the petition HERE.

Stonewall Revisited

The Advocate has this to say about its current cover story:

Just over a year ago Advocate contributor Matthew Hays traveled to Montreal to visit the set of the film Stonewall, where he spoke with director Roland Emmerich about the production. The openly gay German filmmaker, best known for his blockbusters Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, tells The Advocate, “This is very personal for me. I wanted to do it now, as I’m very active in the marriage equality movement. I thought now is the time to do this.”  

Emmerich and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz (Brothers and Sisters, The Slap) decided the landmark moment should be told through the very personal lens of one character. British actor Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) plays Danny, a lost young man, longing to find other people like himself.  

In early August 2015, more than a year after visiting the Stonewall set in Montreal, the first trailer for the film was released. In short order, online publications and commenters accused Emmerich of “white-washing” the Stonewall story. Emmerich responded on his Facebook page: “I understand that following the release of our trailer there have been initial concerns about how this character’s involvement is portrayed, but when this film—which is truly a labor of love for me—finally comes to theaters, audiences will see that it deeply honors the real-life activists who were there—including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Ray Castro—and all the brave people who sparked the civil rights movement which continues to this day. We are all the same in our struggle for acceptance.”

Read HERE.

Major Revelation?

Stonewall Vet Miss Major: I Did Not See Sylvia Rivera or Marsha Johnson at the Stonewall Inn

Obviously, the thing that caused even level-headed people to suddenly not see that two-thirds of the principal characters in Roland Emmerich's "Stonewall" are, in fact, trans POC was that the white fag throws the "first" brick. While I don't want to bank on the possibility that there may be a scene of defiance before this -- although there may well be -- it is worth noting that Miss Major Griffin Gracy -- aka Miss Major -- just told the blog Back2Stonewall that she does not recall seeing either Sylvia Rivera or Marsha P. Johnson at the Stonewall Inn the night the riots began. While this is certainly not proof that neither were there -- others say Johnson was inside celebrating her birthday and was responsible for the "shot glass heard around the world" while Johnson herself says Rivera was not there -- it does show that any "first-person account" is going to have discrepancies. But if Johnson was inside and Rivera wasn't there, where does this leave the thrower of the "first" brick? 

What everyone can agree on is that both Johnson and Rivera were very involved in the events that transpired after, which is what ultimately matters. There's a reason it has to be fictionalized after all these years. But if you're looking for more actual accounts -- which may contradict others you've heard -- you might try the documentary "Stonewall Uprising," although the movie poster should upset some of you way more than the fictionalized account's does.

I don't remember anyone saying a word in 2010 about this poster -- featuring actual people from the Stonewall riots ...

Yet this more realistic view of Stonewall's movers and shakers has been branded a "whitewashing."

LGBT Community 'White' With Rage Over 'Stonewall' Trailer -- UPDATE

I can see where people are coming from regarding the trailer for "Stonewall." It reeks of everything that's wrong with Hollywood. But remember, "Stonewall" is billed as a fictional account inspired by actual events, not an attempt to document real-life history. If that doesn't appeal to you, skip it and read Martin Duberman's great book. Warning, though: Even his "powerful, first-hand account" remembers it through "intertwined portraits of six people -- two lesbians, one transvestite and three gay men -- whose lives converged at the Stonewall Rebellion." If you're upset about the dearth of women and people of color in Hollywood films, then I'm right there with you. But the reality is Hollywood is a business. And while it appears they opted to focus on a story they thought was most marketable -- the fictional pretty boy "Danny" -- we still don't know what the finished product is like. Moments like this never have just one hero -- and I do see a trans woman and a femme person of color depicted prominently in the trailer, which makes me hopeful for a balanced story. But the truth is the Stonewall Inn was a hangout for counterculture, hippy twinks, many of whom came to New York City to escape rejection at home. Either way, though, let's not allow our anger to negate the contributions of the many real-life gay white men on the frontlines, on whom this composite is clearly based. That doesn't help serve any purpose because it too is rewriting history.  

Was it Sylvia or Marsha ... or Stormé?!!!

What's more, given the fact that everyone and their brother claims they were "there" those fateful nights (perhaps on their way to Woodstock and the Altamont Speedway), that the details of who did what when have forever been disputed -- we can't even get the "Was it Marsha or was it Sylvia?" debate settled in our own community, so even if someone wanted to make an "accurate" movie they couldn't -- and that actual photos show plenty of cisgender white men involved, I'm going to do something novel and reserve judgement until I actually see the film.

Or:

What did you expect?

UPDATE: Director Roland Emmerich addresses the controversy:

UPDATE 2: Another "white privilege" POV:

Related: Gay Whites Movement

Stonewall Inn Granted Landmark Status

More exciting landmark news, via the Associated Press:

New York City’s landmarks commission has voted to grant official status to the Greenwich Village bar where resistance to a police raid sparked the modern gay rights movement. The unanimous vote Tuesday marks the first time a site has been designated as a landmark in the city because of its significance to LGBT history. Patrons fought back against a police raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. The uprising is commemorated in gay pride events every year in New York and around the world. The commission’s chairwoman, Meenakshi Srinivasan, says the Stonewall events were a turning point in the LGBT rights movement and in the nation’s history.

Perfect timing in the days leading up to the city's LGBT pride celebration!