Colton Underwood is among the celebrities singing the praises of Bros, the new gay rom-com from Billy Eichner.

What makes Underwood’s praise a little different is the history between the two men.

You may recall that back in 2019, Eichner interviewed Underwood when he was on The Bachelor. Eichner made a jokey reference that Underwood could be the first gay Bachelor. It left Underwood—then in the closet—lost for words.

A clip from Billy Eichner telling Colton Underwood during his 2019’s Bachelor season that he may be the “first gay Bachelor” is going viral after Underwood came out as gay on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday. https://t.co/cfLXuEa9Je pic.twitter.com/jGfksTI2ds

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 15, 2021

After Underwood came out last year, Eichner went on to post a slightly shady tweet. He said, “Here’s how Hollywood works: Colton’s gonna get a GLAAD Award before I do ”

Eichner did also congratulate Underwood. In later tweets, he clarified that everyone should be celebrated for coming out, whether they did it early or later in life.

Related: Billy Eichner reacts to Colton Underwood coming out as gay

Underwood was among those to attend one of the first screenings of the groundbreaking Bros in Los Angeles this week. He took to Instagram to praise the movie. He also re-shared Eichner’s tweet and said that Eichner would win a GLAAD award before he does.

“Last night I saw @brosthemovie — this might be controversial, but @billyeichner will indeed win a GLAAD award before me. in theaters everywhere tomorrow, grab all of your friends and go!”

 

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A post shared by Colton Underwood (@coltonunderwood)

Eichner was among those to reply to Underwood’s message, saying: “HAHAHAHAHAHA … if we’d only known that day on The Bachelor where this journey would take us… ”

Bros wows critics and audiences

Bros opens in around 3,000 theaters nationwide this weekend. It is the first gay rom-com from a major studio with an entirely LGBTQ cast in all its main roles.

The movie has opened to near universally positive reviews. Eichner, who wrote, co-produced and stars, said he was “very emotional” reading some of the first reactions.

Very, very emotional reading first reactions to Bros Thank you https://t.co/3aCIvNrxO1

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) September 30, 2022

 

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A post shared by Billy Eichner (@billyeichner)

At the time of writing, Bros has a staggering 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, from over 80 critics, and a 93% audience approval rating.

Related: Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane on the ‘Bros’ scene they were most nervous about

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A gay man who was a victim of a homophobic attack while on a night out says he’s been left with both physical – and mental – scars from the incident.

Ben Wearing, 30, was on a night out in Falmouth, Cornwall, with his friends in July when he was punched in the face after a man called him a “poof” during a confrontation outside a bar.

“I was shocked more than anything,” Ben tells PinkNews. “Part of me thought I shouldn’t have said anything but then I thought why should I stand there.

“I find it hard to believe we’re living in 2022 and still people aren’t aware that it does happen.”

He says the scar on his face is a “permanent reminder” of the incident, but is now determined to raise awareness of homophobia in the area.

Ben’s attack was also covered by Cornwall Live but after its article was published, Ben says he experienced anti-gay trolling online.

“I’ve seen a few nasties telling me to know my place and finding it funny,” he shared.

“Cornwall is such a small place and I think we’re so far behind with things. I was petrified to come out and didn’t come out until I was 22.”

‘We’re people. We’re not poofs’

The July incident took place at The Arwenack Club when Ben went outside for a cigarette, where he overheard an argument between a man and the club’s bouncers. 

He claims the man was calling the bouncers “poofs” because they wouldn’t let him back in the bar. Other bystanders attempted to tell the man the slur was offensive, but Ben says the man justified it “by saying his brother was a poof”.

Ben says he then asked the man not to say the word as he found it offensive, and when asked why he cared, replied saying: “I’m gay for one and it’s offensive calling people poofs.

“I said, ‘We’re people, we’re not poofs’. His mate then started squaring up to me and calling me a poof.”

When Ben was joined outside by his friends, they separated him from the man who said: “If you push me again I’ll f**king hit you.” At this point Ben and his friends decided to walk home.

But as they walked home, he says the man from the club “stormed” past him and stopped to talk to his friends.

“By the time I had caught up to them he had squared up to me again and asked if I was the poof at the end of town. 

“I responded to say yes and asked what’s the problem, which I don’t think he expected as he stormed off shouting abuse at me.”

‘I’m nervous going out now’

Ben says he and his friends carried on walking a little further before he was hit in the face from behind. 

“It caught me on my right eye and split my eye open. He was shouting something like ‘are you going to hit me poof’ and then ran off.”

He remembers the group who targeted him having Newcastle accents. 

Ben ended up going to hospital for his injury because he was experiencing double vision. He says he has now been left with a scar physically and mentally. 

“I’ve got a scar along the top of my eyebrow now and its like a permanent reminder that I’ve been attacked for being gay. I’m also nervous going out now.”

“People shouldn’t have to go out and pretend to be someone else because they’re afraid that they’re going to get hit.”

Ben feels the police showed no interest in finding his attacker, despite sending a comprehensive statement and emailing CCTV footage. 

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson told PinkNews: “Police continue to investigate an allegation of a hate crime and an assault following an incident outside of the Arwenack Club in Falmouth just before midnight on Friday 15 July.

“The victim has raised a formal complaint with Devon and Cornwall Police in relation to certain aspects of the investigation, and therefore we are unable to comment further publicly, at this time.”

Anti-LGBTQ+ violence in the UK is rising at a record-breaking rate according to police figures. 

The queer community feel fearful due to the spiral of violence and the government’s apparent lack of interest in tackling it. 

The post Gay man told to ‘know his place’ after homophobic attack left him with permanent scar appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

We were inspired by these five outstanding LGBTQ heroes this past year. Who inspired you the most?

We were inspired by these five outstanding LGBTQ heroes this past year. Who inspired you the most?

Zac Farro, drummer in American rock band Paramore, has opened up about his brother Josh’s homophobic comments, which caused the band to fracture.

Towards the end of 2020, a fan shared screengrabs of homophobic comments made by Josh Farro on his public Facebook profile.

Farro compared paedophilia to homosexuality, saying it was “not a preference it’s a perversion just like homosexuality” and his Facebook profile was reportedly shown to be liking posts in support of Donald Trump.

In a new interview with The Guardian, Zac spoke about how the revelation had resulted in a divide between the brothers.

“You think when you’re a kid you’re gonna do everything together, and we did up to a certain point. Then we didn’t,” he said.

“It’s definitely put a strain on the relationship but I actually think it’s been for the better recently.

“You can’t really be mad at that person – that’s what they chose.”

not josh farro being openly homophobic to cap off 2020 pic.twitter.com/VuQ02ZDGSP

— issa phae | THIS IS WHY (@mizphantasm) October 28, 2020

Zac added it was down to him to decide whether he wanted to try and build a healthy relationship with his brother:

“You have to choose if you’re going to show love. My heart goes out to him, too; I don’t want to sound demeaning, but some people’s worldview isn’t very acceptable online. You learn it the hard way sometimes.”

Zac has since pledged to stand with the LGBTQ+ community.

When Josh’s comments were shared online, Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams indirectly addressed the comments, writing: “There’s a reason there are only 3 people left in @paramore. surprise, haters, it ain’t cause of me”, on her now-deleted Twitter account.

“Paramore do not condone religiously/politically dogmatic beliefs which leave our LGBTQ+ friends, fans, & family feeling abandoned and hopeless.”

Paramore originally comprised of five members – including both Farro brothers.

In 2010, they both left, before Jeremy Davis (bass guitar) departed in 2015. Zac rejoined in 2017.

The group, now made up of Williams, Farro and Taylor York, have just released a music video for their new single “This Is Why”, the band’s first in five years. Their tour kicks off in October.

The post Paramore drummer Zac Farro reflects on ex-band mate and brother’s vile homophobic comments appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

A recently unearthed Pentagon report shows that ending the discriminatory policy had no ill effects on the military and that fears about doing so were based on prejudice.

GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 is here to tell you about the 20 queer and trans youth who got next and will change the world, Instagram’s having a vibe shift, and stop worrying about what happens if we let kids transition.

The post Also.Also.Also: Megan Thee Stallion Launches Mental Health Site for Hotties, “Bad Bitches Have Bad Days, Too” appeared first on Autostraddle.

Welcome to Curtain Call, our mostly queer take on the latest openings on Broadway and beyond.

The Rundown:

What would happen if WandaVision and Everything Everywhere All At Once converged? It would be a force to be reckoned with. Similar themes appear in the riveting Off-Broadway premiere of american (tele)visions at New York Theatre Workshop. 

Through the story of an undocumented Mexican family, nonbinary Poz Queer Indigenous Mexican playwright Victor I. Cazares and director Rúben Polendo highlight how the American Dream becomes a distorted nightmare. Through the innovative use of scenic design, projections, and live video feed, american (tele)visions transports audiences into a ‘90s United States where fantasy and reality blur and capitalism guides, provides, and decides who dies. 

No Tea, No Shade:

The journey to bring american (tele)visions to life was 15 years in the making. In 2007, Cazares visited New York City‘s MoMA PS 1 and was captivated by a carpet taken from a mobile home, similar to the one they grew up in. That fateful day inspired Cazares to write the first draft of american (tele)visions, which was then brought to life by the New York Theatre Workshop and Theater Mitu. 

Related: Victor I. Cazares on queering theater, one retro video game at a time

Cazares’s play engages audiences through the medium of TV and video games to tell the story of an immigrant family: parents Maria Ximena (Elia Monte-Brown) and Octavio (Raúl Castillo), children Erica (Bianca “b” Norwood) and Alejandro (Chew, who also plays Alejandro’s lover Jesse), and Erica’s childhood friend Jeremy (Ryan J. Haddad). Collectively, they act as conduits for the memories and life experiences as they explore gender, sexuality, immigration, mental health, love, and family bonds.

While american (tele)visions tells the tale of an undocumented Mexican family, it also dismantles how the American Dream is rooted within and fueled by capitalism. It becomes an omnipresent force that each character wrestles with in their own way, giving in to and fighting overconsumption and overproduction. 

Ultimately, the dream of a better life is turned on its head as each character’s story unfolds. Jesse and Alejandro work in a fence production factory, which becomes a powerful metaphor. “we made chain linked fences,” says Jesse. “to keep us out. to keep us in.”

Related: A first lady fever dream scorches the stage at Chicago’s Steppenwolf

Let’s Have a Moment:

The production team, including technology design by Kelly Colburn, Alex Hawthorn, and Justin Nestor, and specialty costumes by Mondo Guerra (of Project Runway fame), turns this ‘90s fever dream into reality. But it is Monte-Brown’s captivating performance as Maria Ximena — a mother and wife seeking a way out of her own American nightmare who falls deeper into a distorted reality — that connects the play’s technology with a palpable emotional momentum.

Dressed in a curvaceous cacophony of UPC barcodes and sales tags as “Wal-Martina,” she recounts after the border crossing, having to steal medicine to save Erica’s life. Unable to read the label, she relies on a stranger’s help, but the weight of parenthood in this new reality is too great. She says on video:

“Love things that are replaceable. Easy to find, Erica:
On shelves, on racks, and display tables—things clearly visible
under fluorescent electric lights—constant illumination,
constant buzz, constant restocking.
A fountain of ever present consummation.”

The Last Word:

American (tele)visions creatively highlights the untold stories of Brown folks, immigrants, and LGBTQ people through a lens of media, consumerism, and gaming. “It’s so exciting to have made something that people respond to because they’ve also analyzed videos. And experienced them as a way of escape but also as identity formation,” Cazares told INTO. “Because when we escape from our realities is when we’re forming identities.” 

american (tele)visions plays Off-Broadway at New York Theater Workshop through October 16.

Trans youth charity Mermaids is still not being investigated by the Charity Commission over “safeguarding red flags”, despite relentless media reports.

On Thursday (29 September), The Telegraph published yet another story on the charity, which provides support to young trans people and their families, headlined: “Exclusive: Trans charity Mermaids to be investigated by Charity Commission.”

Except, Mermaids is not being investigated by the Charity Commission.

The charities regulator has opened a “regulatory compliance case” after multiple complaints were made about the charity, following a Telegraph “investigation”.

This “investigation” relied entirely on an unidentified adult masquerading as a 14-year-old child to access services from Mermaids, including the charity’s youth forum and web chat helpline, and claimed that the charity was “giving breast binders to children behind parents’ backs”.

In its initial story, the newspaper included quotes from anti-trans campaigners like Transgender Trend founder Stephanie Davies-Arai, and MPs Joanna Cherry and Miriam Cates, who claimed the “investigation” raised “huge safeguarding red flags”

But in a statement, the commission explained: “Concerns have been raised with us about Mermaids’ approach to safeguarding young people. We have opened a regulatory compliance case, and have written to the trustees. We now await their reply.”

A regulatory compliance case allows the commission to assess complaints against a framework, but does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.

An actual investigation into wrongdoing by the Charity Commission is known as a statutory inquiry, which the commission has confirmed to PinkNews is not underway.

‘Individuals who choose to wear a binder are not committing a criminal offence’

Over the last week, The Telegraph has published a flurry of articles painting Mermaids as dangerous to children.

One such article suggested that chest binding could constitute “child abuse”, and irresponsibly conflated binders with “breast ironing”, widely accepted as an abusive practice and largely practiced in parts of Africa by families trying to prevent pregnancy and rape, and deter unwanted attention from men.

According to the National FGM Centre: “In some families, large stones, a hammer or spatula that have been heated over scorching coals can be used to compress the breast tissue. Other families may use an elastic belt or binder to press the breasts so as to prevent them from growing.”

Conversely, binders are garments similar to a sports bra that can be worn safely to reduce the appearance of breasts.

Official statement from the Met @metpoliceuk !

This confirms that the fear mongering conspiratorial nonsense from transphobic campaigners attacking @Mermaids_Gender for supporting trans youths is exactly that – nonsense.

It is in no way criminal or abusive. pic.twitter.com/1IhvbTYadj

— Trans Activism UK (@TransActivismUK) September 29, 2022

In a statement released via Trans Activism UK, the Met Police said: “The supply of a breast binder is not a criminal offence.

“The Met support transgender and gender diverse individuals who freely choose to wear a breast binder.

“If an individual case regarding the practice of breast ironing, or concern regarding the use of a breast binder is reported to police, it may be assessed jointly with social services. The same approach would be taken regardless of culture, faith or community to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the individual concerned.

“We would like to reassure individuals who chooses to wear a binder are not committing a criminal offence.”

The post No, trans youth charity Mermaids is STILL not being investigated by the Charity Commission appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.