The Daily Sheet - April to June 2024

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024

Ang Lee Blames Discrimination

Director Ang Lee is finally pointing the finger. Lee told IndieWire in a recent interview that his Brokeback Mountain losing the Academy Awards Best Picture to Crash in 2006 was because of discrimination against a gay love story. “Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much,” he said. “It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they were,” Lee said of the Academy at the time. Brokeback Mountain did win three other Oscars that year for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay for Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, and Best Original Score for Gustavo Santaolalla. Ang remembered coming off the stage after accepting his Best Director award. “I got my award, which was [second to] last to the big one, and I was walking off the stage, they called me down, and said, stay here. That’s your mark. Everybody assumes you will win, so stay at that mark,” Lee said. “Right next to the stage was the curtain. The next was Best Picture. Stay here, just stay here. I saw Jack Nicholson, his profile, he opened the envelope, and I go, ‘Oh my god, oh my god.’ It took like 10 seconds before he announced, and then he went, ‘Crash.’” Ang Lee Blames Discrimination

Cuba's Inclusive Church

Proudly wearing a rainbow-colored clergy stole and a rainbow flag in her clerical collar, the Rev. Elaine Saralegui welcomed all to her LGBTQ+ inclusive church in the Cuban port city of Matanzas. “We’re all invited. And no one can exclude us,” Saralegui told same-sex couples who held hands sitting on wooden pews in the Metropolitan Community Church where she had recently married her wife. These words and this kind of gathering would have been unimaginable before in the largest country in the conservative and mostly Christian Caribbean, where anti-gay hostility is still widespread. Cuba repressed gay people after its 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro and sent many to labor camps. But in recent years, the communist-run island barred anti-gay discrimination, and a 2022 government-backed “family law” — approved by popular vote — allowed same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt. Members of Cuba’s LGBTQ+ community say it marked a milestone that has allowed them to embrace their gender identity and worship more freely in a country that for decades after the revolution was officially atheist. Over the past quarter century, it has gradually become more tolerant of religions. “It’s huge. There aren’t enough words to say what an opportunity it is to achieve the dream of so many,” said Maikol Añorga. He was with his husband, Vladimir Marin, near the altar, where at a Friday service they joined other congregants taking turns to lay offerings of white and pink wildflowers to thank God. Cuba's Inclusive Church

Nancy Valverde Has Died

Nancy Valverde, a daring Chicana lesbian and gender-nonconformist, died at her Los Angeles home on Monday. She was 92. Valverde was our local groundbreaker for LGBTQ+ rights. Growing up, she was routinely arrested for violating L.A.’s cross-dressing ban, but later was credited with helping overturn that law. Valverde was born in Deming, New Mexico, in 1932, but her life as an Angeleno began at 9 years old when she and her father relocated to Lincoln Heights. Growing up, she didn’t know anything about being a lesbian, but Valverde knew one thing: She felt like an outsider when all the girls would talk about cute boys. In her teens, Valverde worked hard to provide for herself. She worked in a restaurant kitchen and did bakery deliveries. But as a young Chicana, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being treated like a second-class citizen, according to the nonprofit Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing. She saw Mexican Americans get displaced when Dodger Stadium was built, where she used to do deliveries. All of this contributed to a rebellious streak. As Valverde got older, she started looking more masculine under the standard of those days, like wearing pants and having short hair. It was common for people to judge and comment on her appearance. Nancy Valverde Has Died Lessons Learned Giving Advice For the last three years, it has been my great privilege to serve as one of the only advice columnists specifically for the bisexual community. Bisexual people from all around the world have turned to me for advice in their darkest hours. They’ve shared secrets with me that they felt they couldn’t share with even their closest friends and family. It’s been a great responsibility to try and help them navigate the troubles they are facing. The idea for an advice column happened completely by coincidence. As a vocal bisexual who is often found writing pieces in the media or doing TV and radio interviews about the bi experience, one of the great joys is having bisexual people from all around the world write to me after they see these pieces. Sometimes it’s just a thank you, but many times there are follow-up questions, and I simply couldn’t keep up with the demand. This told me that there were many bisexuals out there struggling, feeling that there was no one to turn to for advice on issues that were specifically bisexual. That’s where the idea for an advice column came from. In fact, the landscape is so void of the advice that bisexual people so desperately need, that my column is now being turned into a book, Bisexuality: The Basics which will be hitting stores in May, aiming to answer all of the most common questions I’ve seen bi people face. Lessons Learned Giving Advice Appeals Court Blocks Texas A Texas appeals court on Friday upheld a lower court's injunction blocking the state from investigating parents who provide their transgender children with gender-affirming medical treatments, which Governor Greg Abbott has called abusive. Abbott, a Republican, had ordered the state Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) to carry out child abuse investigations into families whose children were receiving puberty-blocking treatments in February 2022. A month later, a district court judge imposed a statewide temporary injunction on such investigations, saying the probes endangered children and their families. The appeals court in Austin upheld the district court judge's injunction in a pair of rulings on Friday, delivering a victory to LGBTQ groups, medical professionals and civil liberties advocates opposing moves by conservative politicians in dozens of states to criminalize the provision of gender-transitioning treatments for trans youth. "This is a much-needed victory for trans youth and those who love and support them," the American Civil Liberties Union said on X on Friday. Representatives for Abbott and the DFPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Lambda Legal challenged Abbott's order on behalf of the family of a 16-year-old transgender girl targeted for investigation. Appeals Court Blocks Texas Gaming Fans Embrace Non Binary Character Overwatch 2’s ninth season is nearly over, and when the tenth begins on April 16, the hero shooter is getting a few significant changes.  All of its heroes will no longer be locked behind the battle pass and the game will get a new shop dedicated to Mythic Skins only.  But Overwatch 2 is also getting a new Damage hero in Venture, a scrappy, drill-based, non-binary character who can dig themself underground and come back up for air right on an objective.  While we’ve only seen concept footage of the character in action, the Overwatch community is already embracing them and coming up with inside jokes about them that are spreading through the fandom like wildfire.  Before Venture has even escorted a payload or helped push a barricade, they have been deemed a rock eater. The joke started innocently enough. Some fans noted Venture’s chipped tooth in their concept art and thus made the logical conclusion that they must have broken it on something. Given that their entire kit and design are based on digging and drilling, players landed on the silly idea that they must have been eating rocks. Once the suggestion was made, Overwatch fans got to work riffing on the idea in excellent art and jokes. While Venture is likely too close to launch for the Blizzard team to implement the joke into pre-match banter, Overwatch 2 developers past and present have endorsed this collective headcanon. Venture’s place in the overarching Overwatch world is unclear at this point, but game director Aaron Keller has stated the team plans to release more on their lore in the future in a way that is “pretty different to things that [Blizzard has] done before.” Whatever the Overwatch story looks like moving forward, it will have a lot of heavy lifting to do now that Blizzard has reportedly canceled its planned story missions. Gaming Fans Embrace Non Binary Character Kelsea Ballerini Shares Past Video Kelsea Ballerini shared a “lil throwback” on her Instagram story on Monday morning (March 25) to announce that she’ll be a guest on RuPaul’s Drag Race this week. The award-winning artist revealed her upcoming appearance on the show with a throwback video of her vibrant 2023 CMT Music Awards performance with queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ballerini and the queens took the stage together as she performed “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” one of the fan-favorite anthems on her latest full-length album, Subject To Change, which she quickly followed with her EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. Ballerini previously opened up about the controversy that followed in her interview for the 2023 TIME 100 Next list cover story. “I would say, for anything in life, when there's a ‘group of people’ — and I use ‘group’ in quotes — one person cannot speak for everyone,” she said at that time. “That is true for country music. I am in control of standing in what I believe in — and being a kind, good person who works towards making the world a more heard, safe, and inclusive place in whatever capacity I can do. I wish I could change a lot of things. But I can just change myself and the community around me. And I am making sure that my intentions are good and pure." “Oh yeah, there was (pushback after taking the stage with drag queens)!” Ballerini continued. “At the time, a lot of anti-drag legislation was being proposed in Tennessee. I was not only hosting the CMT awards, but I had a performance for a song of mine that is all about friendship and standing up for people that you love, and being ride-or-die for your people. I realized that that would be a really good, important, loud, big stage to make that statement on, and CMT was all for it.” Kelsea Ballerini Shares Past Video Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: Killersmom, CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

Rodrigo Prieto to Be Honored

Rodrigo Prieto, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer, will be honored with the 2023 Árbol de la Vida – lifetime achievement award at the 13th edition of the GuadaLAjara Film Festival on Nov. 1. Taking place at the Theater at the Ace Hotel in Downtown L.A., the Mexican D.P. will be honored at the opening night gala celebration. Past honorees have included Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette, in addition to stars such as Xolo Maridueña, Rosario Dawson and Danny Trejo. Prieto has garnered worldwide acclaim for his work on various feature films, collaborating with some of cinema’s most vital masters. He has picked up his three Oscar noms for Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and two with Martin Scorsese — “Silence” (2016) and “The Irishman” (2019). He’s teamed up with the iconic filmmaker again for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the story of a group of men that murdered Osage tribe members in the 1920s. The Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures co-distributed feature stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone. Prieto also lensed Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar Mattel meta-comedy “Barbie” from Warner Bros — now the highest grossing release of 2023. Curated with Latinx and BIPOC communities in mind, GLAFF’s programming is a mix of films that aim to attract cinephiles and art and culture enthusiasts. The 2023 program and official selection includes a special Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) centerpiece gala screening of the 1960s Mexican classic “Macario” from director Roberto Gavaldón. More films will be announced in the coming weeks. Rodrigo Prieto to Be Honored

9-1-1's Oliver Stark Responds

Oliver Stark has a message for the fans — and the haters — after Buck kissed Tommy on ABC’s 9-1-1. “Humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction to Buck’s storyline,” Stark, 32, wrote via Instagram Story on Saturday, April 6, two days after the 100th episode of 9-1-1 featured his character kissing a man for the first time. “I’ve read so many of your messages and I couldn’t be prouder.” While many fans have been hoping to see Buck explore his sexuality for years, the actor acknowledged that not everyone was happy with the story line. “If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show, I would like you to know that I truly don’t care,” he wrote. “This is a show about love and inclusion. It’s featured queer relationships from he very beginning including a beautiful Black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I’ve ever watched.” Paramedic Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds) and wife Karen Wilson (Tracie Thoms) share son Denny and have been core characters since the 2018 pilot, and they are only two of several LGBTQ+ characters with significant story lines on 9-1-1. 9-1-1's Oliver Stark Responds

JoJo Siwa Shocks Fans

JoJo Siwa put on a very racy display in her new music video for latest single Karma, which was released on Friday. In the video the 20-year-old Dance Moms star turned 'bad girl' enjoyed a wild lesbian romp with another woman while wearing her signature KISS inspired catsuit and theatrical makeup. As she sang about being 'wild', the former child star — who was recently seen visiting a sex shop after ditching her family-friendly image amid major rebrand — was also pictured being licked by another woman. Throughout the clip JoJo, who turns 21 next month, showed off her viral TikTok choreography and was seen grinding on a number of beautiful ladies. The dynamic video starts out with JoJo on an island in the middle of the ocean at night as she turns to the camera with her dramatic face paint and sings, 'I was a bad girl, I did some bad things.' She then has flashes of a number of her various encounters with different women. 'I swear I did it all for fun and it meant nothing,' JoJo continues. JoJo Siwa Shocks Fans Bisexual Swingers Scott and April Shirley were stuck in the wrong marriages. Marriages that felt constricting amid their burgeoning bisexuality and quest for sexual freedom. The pair had been friends for years – Scott, 51, then co-owned a CrossFit gym in Decatur, Alabama, and April, 45, was a women and children's pastor. By the end of 2015, however, the two began a 10 month-long affair that cost them their jobs. Reputations. Everything. Now they're happily in a non-monogamous marriage. Once the affair became public, they were ostracized in their town. And when they opened their business, Naughty Gym, it just added fuel to the fire. Naughty Gym is an online community the pair started during the pandemic in 2020 – workouts people could do at home along with a built-in platform for sex-positive users to connect, similar to how you'd talk in a Facebook group. For $20 per month, their 300 members get access to daily workouts. Each primary workout comes with a version that doesn't require any equipment ("nude"); one that requires dumbbells ("topless") and so on. "These (workouts) have nothing to do with sex," Scott clarifies. "It's just playful names." Bisexual Swingers Game Developer Accused of Transphobia Behaviour Interactive recently updated its hit online survival horror game, Dead By Daylight, adding a new killer called The Unknown: a malevolent, shape-shifting entity voiced by a transgender woman. However, following complaints about The Unknown’s appearance – in particular, an outfit where the creature appears as a grotesque giant dressed in a cheerleader costume and a wig – the woman who voiced the character claims she was “tricked” into helping to create a trans stereotype, and took to X/Twitter to complain. In a long statement, which appears to have since been deleted, she accuses Behaviour Interactive of basing the character on her trans identity, and describes the cheerleader “man in a dress” character skins as “transphobic”, adding that she believes she has been put “physically at risk” by the developer’s choices. On 14 March, the voice actor clarified her initial statement about The Unknown, writing: “I wasn’t kept in the loop with what the character’s final look would be, I was given an ambiguous description for the part, and even though I tried my best to find out, continually asking for more info, that wasn’t possible. This is why I was upset. The skins themselves were never the issue, lack of communication was.” She added that the doesn’t want Behaviour Interactive to face a boycott. “They are not transphobic… Behaviour is a good company, and has been nothing but kind and supporting through this tough process of receiving mass harassment for my involvement in the character.” Game Developer Accused of Transphobia Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo Is Demisexual Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, daughter of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, came out as demisexual during an Instagram Live with the author Donato Tramuto over the weekend. The 23-year-old, who came out as queer at the beginning of Pride month, further expanded on what her sexual orientation means to her and her coming-out journey. "When I was in elementary school, I feared that I was lesbian," she told Tramuto. "When I was in middle school, I came out to my family and close friends as bisexual. When I was in high school, I discovered pansexuality and thought, 'That's the flag for me.'" People who identify as pansexual can be attracted to people of all genders or are just attracted to people regardless of gender. During the Instagram Live, Kennedy-Cuomo said she felt demisexual was a better fit for her after doing more research. Demisexual people fall on the spectrum of asexuality, a lack of sexual attraction. Bustle previously reported that people who are demisexual tend to need a close, emotional, or intellectual bond with someone before feeling sexual attraction. Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo Is Demisexual Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024

Forgotten Movie Now in Netflix Top 5

An under-the-radar war movie, Megan Leavey, makes its way onto Netflix's Global Top 10 chart. Based on the true story of Megan Leavey, the 2017 film follows a young female Marine and her close connection with a combat dog named Rex that saves many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Kate Mara, who starred as Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman in 2015's failed Fantastic Four film, plays the titular role of Megan Leavey alongside a supporting cast that includes Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Common, and Edie Falco. Now, seven years after flying under the radar, the film is charting as a global hit on Netflix. For the week of April 8-14, Megan Leavey ranked fifth on Netflix's Global Top 10 with 9.7 million hours viewed and 5 million individual views. It ranked between M. Night Shyamalan's Glass in fourth place, which received 5.1 million views in its second week in the Top 10, and The Bricklayer in sixth place with 4.6 million views. Because Megan Leavey was an under-the-radar war movie upon its initial release in 2017, millions of Netflix subscribers are just now discovering the hidden gem for the first time on the streaming service. The film has been praised by critics and audiences alike for honoring its real-life subjects, both Megan Leavy and Rex, with genuinely uplifting drama that compensates for any shortcomings in its storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, Megan Leavey has impressive 86% and 82% scores from critics and audiences, respectively. For a smaller-budget movie, Megan Leavey also has a surprisingly star-studded cast. Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, The Handmaid's Tale) and Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie) are both multi-time Emmy winners for multiple TV shows. Kate Mara also has an Emmy nomination for her performance in House of Cards, while Tom Felton is highly recognizable for his role as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter. However, for whatever reason, Megan Leavey received little attention upon its initial release in 2017 and only grossed $14.5 million at the box office. Forgotten Movie Now in Netflix Top 5

Pennsylvania School Cancels Event

Parents in a Pennsylvania school district are petitioning to overturn a unanimous vote by the school board to cancel a talk from “30 Rock” actor Maulik Pancholy, over concerns about his “activism” and “lifestyle.” Pancholy, who is gay and a children’s book author, was scheduled to speak at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, on May 22. But the Cumberland Valley School District (CVSD) voted unanimously on Monday to cancel his visit. More than 6,000 people have signed a petition started by Trisha Comstock, a parent in the school district, demanding that the board reverse their decision. Pancholy, who is known for voicing Baljeet in the cartoon “Phineas and Ferb” and for his role as the assistant on the TV show “30 Rock,” has written two award-winning children’s books that focus on themes of empathy and anti-bullying. “Nikhil Out Loud” follows the story of a gay Indian American boy at a school where parents protested having a gay student play a lead role in the school musical. Another of Pancholy’s award-winning titles, “The Best at It,” is about a 7th-grade Indian American who experiences bullying in his small Midwest town. Although the school district livestreamed Monday’s board meeting, it does not archive the videos. Pennsylvania School Cancels Event

Lesbian Bars Coming Back

As the United States emerged slowly from pandemic lockdowns, a curious phenomenon has taken place: the resurgence of bars for lesbians and queer women. New York City has doubled its lesbian bars since 2022, and the US as a whole saw at least a dozen new bars open up. These bars have long served as a third space for queer communities, and in the face of legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ people, their importance has only grown. “I started searching right around the time I came out. Searching for community or a sense of belonging. As queer people, we’re told that there is a community out there for us to find. But for many of us it’s not so simple,” noted director and Hyperallergic contributor Alexis Clements (pictured left) in her 2019 film All We’ve Got, just released on PBS. Clements continues: "Age, race, class, gender, ability, and countless other factors impact whether we can access communities where we’ll find other people who share in our experiences. As a queer woman looking for community, what I was finding was that a lot of the spaces everyone was telling me to go to were already closed or they were on the verge of closing." An arts and culture journalist and regular contributor to Hyperallergic, Clements brings herself into the film on a journey to places like the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, WOW Café Theatre and the Lesbian Herstory Archives in New York, and Alibis Club in Oklahoma City. Through the director’s eyes, we see the range and possibility of spaces designed as community hubs, performance venues, and places for dancing and partying. Lesbian Bars Coming Back Buck's Bisexuality on 9-1-1 The procedural drama series 9-1-1 reached 100 episodes following its move from Fox to ABC for season 7. That 100th episode, which aired on April 4, centers on Buck (Oliver Stark) dealing with complicated feelings toward Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr). The episode unfolds with Buck finally confessing his feelings, which results in a kiss between Tommy and Buck, and leads to the two of them agreeing to go on a date. Dedicated 9-1-1 fans had long speculated about Buck's sexuality and eagerly anticipated his first kiss with another man on the show — and it finally happened in a way that was exciting, but also pointedly casual for the characters involved. "Something that's always touched me emotionally, more than anything in my life, is when people are able to live as their authentic selves," actor Oliver Stark, who plays Buck on 9-1-1, tells Out. "It's something that has always, for whatever reason, brought a tear to my eye. When I see somebody living openly and proudly as who they are, it has always really affected me." I see him get a little emotional talking about it. "So, to get to now go through this storyline and hopefully help people feel more seen, that really means a lot to me." It isn't until shooting episode 98 that Stark finds out about Buck's first kissing scene with a man in the 100th episode of the series. "Tim Minear, who writes the show, called me up and said, 'I want to pitch this Buck storyline to you,'" Stark recalls. "He proceeded to tell me about the character of Tommy and what that would lead to. He wanted to know how I felt about it and if I was on board with it. And obviously here we are, so of course I was. I was really excited for it, and I'm really happy with how it's played out." Buck's Bisexuality on 9-1-1 Sweden Passes Law Sweden's parliament has passed a law lowering the age at which people can change their legal gender from 18 to 16, and making the process easier. The law passed with 234 votes in favour and 94 against in Sweden's parliament. Though Sweden was the first country to make gender transition legal, in 1972, the new law has sparked intense debate. Some say it will make an "important difference" but critics say more research is needed. Currently, Swedes require a doctor's diagnosis of gender dysphoria to be allowed to change their legally recognised gender. But under this new law - which would come into force in July 2025 - the process will be simpler, for example a shorter consultation with a doctor or a psychologist will be enough, along with approval from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Legally changing a person's gender will also be possible from the age of 16, although those under 18 will need the approval of their parents or guardian, a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare. Sweden Passes Law Asexual Character on Heartbreak High Will McDonald has opened up about Ca$h's asexual storyline in Heartbreak High season 2 and why representation matters. When Ca$h and Darren first kiss in Heartbreak High season 1, Darren becomes concerned that Ca$h isn't attracted to them when he doesn't show interest in them sexually. However, Ca$h later tells Darren that he's "not wired that way". He doesn't use the term asexual but he makes clear that he loves Darren, he just doesn't want to have sex with anyone. Heartbreak High season 2 explores Ca$h's asexuality in further depth. Darren and Ca$h officially start dating. Together, they work out whether or not it's fair to both of them to have a relationship when they have different sexual appetites. Ultimately, Ca$h and Darren realise that they can make their relationship work on their own terms. Now, Will McDonald has discussed playing Ca$h and common misconceptions about asexuality in a brand new interview. Talking to Refinery29 Australia about Ca$h's asexuality, Will said: "It's just one part of his identity. There's a whole spectrum of things that are making him up. I think that's the way he challenges those preconceptions, he's just so staunchly himself." Asexual Character on Heartbreak High Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024

Taylor and Rodrigo

At midnight, Swift released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department” — and then announced two hours later that it’s a surprise double album, leaving casual fans and Swifites alike to spend the day decoding who the songs are about. (How many Friday afternoon Slack messages were devoted to parsing if a song was about Swift exes Joe Alwyn or Matty Healy?) And then came the album’s first music video for single “Fortnite,” co-written by and featuring Post Malone. In addition to “Dead Poets Society” (note that neither title uses an apostrophe) alums Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, the music video boasts another big name: Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”,  "Brokeback Mountain"). This isn’t the first time Prieto (no less than Martin Scorsese’s frequent cinematographer, who shot “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” “The Irishman,” and “Flower Moon”) has collaborated with Swift. The cinematographer previously worked on the 2020 music videos for Swift’s songs “The Man,” “Cardigan,” and “Willow.” Here, the video is filmed in gorgeous black and white as Swift moves from a seeming mental institution — a recurring theme on the album — to an office to a round of electroshock therapy complete with a sparking crown. Throughout the video (written and directed by Swift), she and Post Malone are in a tortured romance, surviving on fleeting looks and occasional tender touches as they struggle to find a way to fully connect. Prieto’s black-and-white cinematography is deep and lush, providing a setting for Swift’s lyrics (“I love you, it’s ruining my life”), which showcase the doomed romanticism of the album’s opening track. Taylor and Rodrigo

Biden Restores Protections

The Biden administration announced a new rule Friday expanding safeguards against potential discrimination of gay and transgender Americans seeking medical care, in a reversal of Trump-era limitations that nixed federal health protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a set of expansive new rules unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, the department moved to advance civil rights protections for patients by barring health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The HHS rule restores Obama-era protections for transgender patients that the Trump administration rolled back in 2020 — a move that was condemned by LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organizations. “Today’s rule is a giant step forward for this country toward a more equitable and inclusive health care system, and means that Americans across the country now have a clear way to act on their rights against discrimination when they go to the doctor, talk with their health plan or engage with health programs run by HHS,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a Friday statement. The finalized rule comes as access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth has been tangled in political controversy, with more than 20 states in recent years attempting to restrict youth access to such care. As conflicting rulings on state-level bans have emerged from lower-level courts across the country, the Supreme Court has faced mounting pressure to consider the matter. Biden Restores Protections

The "Hey Mamas" Lesbian

All across sapphic TikTok, people have started using the term “hey mamas lesbian.” If that phrase looks like gibberish to you, we're here to help. According to how the term is used online, “Hey mamas” lesbians can be distinguished by their fashion (think snapback, sports jersey, and long hair in a bun to show off their undercut) and exaggerated masc swagger, i.e. posting thirst traps on social media of them biting their bottoms lips and saying “hey mamas” to a theoretical femme on the other side of the camera. While the term is fairly new and originated on TikTok in 2020, it has quickly gripped online sapphic spaces, becoming a way to poke fun at cringey lesbians who fit the bill. But if you're planning to use the term yourself, it’s important to understand its deeper nuances. Some have criticized people who use the term to make fun of all masc-of-center queers more broadly, erasing the history and importance of butches, studs, and mascs in lesbian spaces. To better understand what the term means, read on for answers to some common questions: What is a “hey mamas” lesbian? Is “hey mamas lesbian” a controversial term? The "Hey Mamas" Lesbian Fired For Being Bisexual A fired minor league umpire sued Major League Baseball on Wednesday, claiming he was sexually harassed by a female umpire and discriminated against because he is male and bisexual. Brandon Cooper, an umpire who worked in the minor league Arizona Complex League last year, filed the suit in federal court in Manhattan against MLB and PDL Blue Inc., an affiliated entity. “Historically the MLB has had a homogenous roster of umpires working in both the minor and major leagues,” the suit claimed. “Specifically, to date there has never been a woman who has worked in a (regular) season game played in the majors, and most umpires are still Caucasian men. To try to fix its gender and racial diversity issue, defendants have implemented an illegal diversity quota requiring that women be promoted regardless of merit.” Cooper’s suit says he attended umpire training camps in 2022 and ’23 and was told by former umpire Ed Rapuano, now an umpire evaluator, and Darren Spagnardi, an umpire development supervisor, in January 2023 that MLB had to include at least two women among 10 new hires. Cooper says he was invited to spring training in 2023, put on a taxi squad and informed by Dusty Dellinger, senior manager of umpire administration, that women and minority candidates had to be hired first. Cooper was assigned to the ACL in late March and said he received a high rating in June from former big league umpire Jim Reynolds, now an umpire supervisor. Fired For Being Bisexual New Research Shows Disadvantage Transgender athletes could be at a physical disadvantage compared to their cisgender counterparts, challenging claims that serve to exclude transgender athletes from participation in sport spaces that coincide with their gender identity, a new report suggests. A recent cross-sectional study examined the athletic capabilities and potential differences among trans and cisgender athletes. This investigation was the first to be funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the subject and marks the first analysis on athletes who have undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy. The study, which was published earlier this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a leading peer-reviewed journal in sports medicine, examined the athletic capabilities of 35 transgender athletes compared to 40 cisgender athletes. The study assessed cardiovascular performance, strength, and lower-body power among 23 transgender women, 12 transgender men, 21 cisgender women, and 19 cisgender men. All transgender participants had undergone hormone therapy for over a year, and both cisgender and transgender participants were actively engaged in competitive sports or underwent physical training at least three times weekly. New Research Shows Disadvantage Intersex Bodily Autonomy Intersex advocate Pidgeon Pagonis detailed their activism and the intersex bodily autonomy movement on Monday in Fisk Hall. The event comes as part of the Center for Awareness, Response & Education’s annual Sexual Assault Action Month aimed to spread awareness of the causes and effects of sexual assault as well as to provide prevention and support to sexual assault survivors. This year’s SAAM — rebranded from Sexual Assault Awareness Month — centered on the theme: “Our Bodies Belong to Us.” Pagonis is an American intersex activist, speaker, photographer and filmmaker. Their advocacy work focuses on uncovering human rights violations toward intersex people and preventing non-consensual, irreversible medical procedures performed on them. Intersex is an “umbrella term for variations in sex traits or reproductive anatomy,” according to interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, a nonprofit advocating for the rights of children born with intersex traits. Pagonis displayed their documentary titled “A Normal Girl,” highlighting the struggles faced by intersex people through their own story. “One of the main biggest characteristics of intersex (people) is that we are invisibilized,” Pagonis said. Intersex Bodily Autonomy Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. 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Tuesday, May 7th, 2024

Brokeback on 4K Blu-Ray

Kino Lorber have detailed their upcoming 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases of Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain (2005), starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, and Anne Hathaway. The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on June 25. In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid) as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack marries a fellow rodeo rider (Anne Hathaway), the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years. Click the link below to see the Special Features and Technical Specs: Brokeback on 4K Blu-Ray

Methodists End Bans

It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages. But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view. “Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said. It took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said McAvoy, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, Rhode Island. A member of the Queer Delegate Caucus at last week’s UMC General Conference in Charlotte, she was grateful to be part of the historic moment. The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall. Those are the tall-steeple churches in myriad town squares and rural crossroads, traditionally “big-tent” and culturally mainstream congregations — some predating America's independence. Methodists End Bans

Jane Rigby Receives Medal of Freedom

Out astrophysicist Jane Rigby, chief scientist at the world’s most powerful telescope, has received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. The acclaimed scientist, who is an out lesbian, was one of nineteen people to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor Friday. The medal is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” according to the White House. Rigby is a civil servant Astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as the senior project scientist at the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope in the world. She has also done extensive data research for the Keck and Magellan Observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope. Rigby has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named the LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year in 2022 by Out to Innovate, which recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math. She was also a founding member of the American Astronomical Society's LGBTQ+ Equality Working Group, the Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA). Rigby has a Bachelors in Psychics, Astronomy, and Astrophysics from Penn State, and earned both her Masters and Doctorate in Astronomy at The University of Arizona. She said in a SGMA interview that first came out as a lesbian in 2000, and it was still illegal to be gay in Arizona when she moved there a few years later for graduate school. Rigby now resides in Maryland with her wife, Dr. Andrea Leistra, and their young child. Jane Rigby Receives Medal of Freedom Challengers The horny psychological thriller is back. Over the course of the past week, Challengers – the movie everyone and their mom is talking about – received it’s delayed, much-anticipated wide release. The two-hour-long movie tells the story of professional tennis champion Art (Mike Faist) who is gearing up to make a return to the court, thanks to the help of his coach and wife, Tashi (Zendaya). Playing him at a Challenger event is Patrick (Josh O’Connor), whose status as a player has gone from a one-to-watch to a relative unknown. In the past, the two boys vyed for Tashi’s affections, resulting in a tumultuous love triangle which serves as the foundation of the movie. Over the course of the past year, teasers suggested a ménage à trois of sorts, sparking excitement for the film. In general, Challengers has been well received, despite some debates regarding the sexuality and representation in the film. But half the fun of Challengers is the will-they-or-won’t-they aspect, which manifests in the form of parasocial sexual tension. In the present-day sequences, it’s 2019, and Tashi is married to Art. She’s coached him, elevating his status from a subpar tennis player to a US Open champion. They first met in 2006, when Art and Patrick won the boys’ junior doubles title at the US Open. The two invite Tashi to their hotel room, where they both kiss Tashi and, later, each other. Tashi shuts down the activity before it goes any further, but promises the boys she will give her number to whoever wins the junior singles final the next day. Patrick wins. Over the course of the movie, we see Patrick and Tashi navigate a long-distance relationship, as well as a friendship with Art, complete with sensual churro-feeding. While Art and Tashi are studying at Stanford, Patrick has gone pro. Art suggests to Tashi that Patrick doesn’t actually love her, to which she responds, “What makes you think I want someone to be in love with me?” Challengers Response to Utah's Ban Utah officials say they have been inundated with more than 4,000 bogus complaints of transgender people using public bathrooms just 72 days after the state launched a program to report such instances. “We didn’t see anything that looks credible,” Utah Auditor John Dougall told The Salt Lake City Tribune. The auditor’s office created an online complaint form in order to comply with the state’s controversial “Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women’s Opportunities” bill, which was signed into law in January and mandates Utahns only use the bathroom matching their reproductive organs. Under the law, which went into effect May 1, the state auditor’s office was ordered to  “establish a process to receive and investigate alleged violations of this chapter” by the government. If the violation goes unresolved, the auditor must refer the issue to the Utah attorney general’s office who can impose fines up to $10,000 “per violation per day” on the government entity found at fault. “I would assume the Legislature probably didn’t think through what kind of public backlash might happen,” Dougall told The Tribune. Response to Utah's Ban Bella Thorne Is Pansexual Bella Thorne has come out as pansexual after recently discovering what the term actually means. The 21-year-old former Disney child star had previously identified as bisexual but told ‘Good Morning America’ that after finding out about pansexuality, which does not consider sex or gender, she has had a self realisation. “I’m actually pansexual and I didn’t know that,” she explained. “Somebody explained to me really thoroughly what that is. “You like beings. You like what you like. Doesn’t have to be a girl or a guy or a he or she or they or this or that. It’s literally you like personality. “You just like a being.” The ‘Shake It Up’ star is currently in a relationship with Italian pop singer Benjamin Mascolo, but was previously in a polyamorous relationship with YouTuber Tana Mongeau and American rapper Mod Sun. Bella Thorne Is Pansexual Liam Hendriks Is An Ally One perk of writing about LGBTQ allies in baseball is that I’ve picked up a bunch of new favorite players over the past few years. Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks is at the top of that list. Even before I ever got an Outsports byline, I already liked Hendriks for fully embracing the “raging Australian closer” archetype as his on-field persona. For instance, his miked up appearance in the 2021 All Star Game sounded like what would happen if Hugh Jackman developed a condition where he could only communicate by screaming David Mamet dialogue. He was the epitome of a fun baseball dude. Then in 2022, Hendriks revealed that when he spoke with the White Sox as a free agent, he asked them “Do you guys have a Pride Night?” and let them know that this was a requirement in order for him to sign. If there was a Cy Young for allyship, Hendriks would’ve clinched the next five in a row. Since then, though, he’s had a rough go of it healthwise. After the 2022 season, Hendriks revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Liam Hendriks Is An Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet