BETTE MIDLER. The Divine Miss M will be performing at one of the major NYC Pride events this Saturday at the Javits Center: ‘In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, she’ll perform a song accompanied by composer Marc Shaiman, of “Hairspray” and “Mary Poppins Returns” fame. Her stage time is set for 11 p.m.’
FORGOTTEN HISTORY. Gay entrapment.
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. The gay Jewish matador from Brooklyn.
DEFENDING KEVIN SPACEY. Dame Judi Dench. “You cannot deny somebody a talent. You might as well never look at a Caravaggio painting. You might as well never have gone to see Noel Coward.”
THE DAMRON GUIDE. The U.S. guide essential to every gay man before the internet came along may not publish another issue: ‘For 45 years The Address Book, later renamed Damron Men’s Travel Guide, steered LGBTQ people from coast to cocktail lounge. It started before you could kiss on the beach on your Los Angeles vacation. In 1965, gay sex was a crime everywhere but Illinois. The Stonewall uprising, a turning point in modern gay history, was still four years away. Damron’s pastel book told you where in Allentown, Pennsylvania, you could get a beer without getting being beat up. If you lived in Covington, Kentucky, you’d learn that Joche Bo’s was a good a weekend-only spot. In Los Angeles alone, you’d find more than a dozen bars and bathhouses.’
LAS VEGAS. Long-running gay bar Bastille on 3rd closes.
CHECHNYA. Gay man describes abduction, beatings, electrocution: “These police officers are accustomed to torturing people … Some men I know told me that some were left hanging from the ceiling, had been suffocated with a plastic bag or even raped with the police bat. This kind of torture can last for weeks.”
QUEEN. Harry Tarre screenplay based on Corey Rae’s article, “How I Became the World’s First Transgender Prom Queen — A Personal Essay,” is being developed into a film by Red Crown Productions: “As the title of the article suggests, the screenplay is based on the true story of Rae’s real-life high school transition process and how she became the world’s first openly transgender prom queen.”
JUSSIE SMOLLETT. The Empire actor googled himself a lot after the alleged attack.
MADRID. New city government accused of censoring Pride messages: ‘Among the slated slogans were: “To those who remember the repression”, “To those who stood firm” and “To those who were there when we were not”. However, a new local government led by the conservative Popular Party (PP) has replaced that of Carmena following local elections in May. Más Madrid says that the new administration has eliminated from the Gay Pride publicity the messages that harked back to the past campaign for gay rights. Instead, a blanket slogan has been used: “Our greatest pride.” “I think it’s indecent to censor messages that refer back to the achievements of those people, and the memory of those people, who have allowed us to enjoy the rights which, 30 years ago, were unthinkable,” said Rita Maestre, spokeswoman for Más Madrid.’
CHICAGO. Woman spits on Eric Trump at popular upscale bar.
LARRY KRAMER. The View salutes the longtime AIDS activist.
FOOD TRY OF THE DAY. A peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich.
TEASER OF THE DAY. Bond 25.
21 SONGS. Every gay man knows.
TRAILER OF THE DAY. Orange Is The New Black Season 7.
HUMP DAY HAIRY. Jack Falahee.
