Tag Archives: Rachel Maddow

Daily Juice: Ellen DeGeneres to Make Stand-Up Comeback with Netflix Special

After 15 years away from the stand-up comedy stage, it looks like Ellen DeGeneres is going to return to the microphone. The rumors began swirling when Netflix tweeted this week (Out)

 

Gillian Anderson Channels Bowie as New God Media

Gillian Anderson goes as the iconic David Bowie in Starz series American Gods. Gillian has previously personified Lucille Ball in the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nBnIgbIFXk

Cara Delevingne & Dane DeHaan star in brand new trailer for Luc Besson’s Valerian 

The final trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets indicates the film will take cinema goers on a spectacular visual adventure.  

Set in the 28th century, it sees Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne play Valerian and Laureline, two special operatives charged with keeping order in space’s human territories, dispatched on a mission to the multi-cultural metropolis Alpha.

It’s there that a dark force threatens to destroy the peaceful existence of Alpha, known as the City of a Thousand Planets, where species from across the universe converge to share knowledge, intelligence, and culture.  

Tegan and Sara are going to be a part of Mothership Women’s Festival this year.

Rachel Maddow was a guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week, where she talked about the President’s latest trip.

Greys Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez is set to star in Mary Lambert’s new music video Know Your Name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpo1xPMtvXo

New star of Wentworth, Daniielle Alexis, has come out as a trans woman.

In an interview with Woman’s Day, Daniielle Alexis said

“I can finally say that name and feel safe that I’m not about to get teased. I have lived in silence for over 12 years.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUX6XNwFiov/?hl=en

 

Rachel Maddow Disappointed That Mike Pence Wasn’t Challanged About Negative Views On LGBTQ Rights

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was left – like many of us – frustrated that Tim Kaine didn’t challenge Mike Pence his terrible history of LGBTQ Rights, in the recent VP debate.

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I mean, I don’t think that because I’m gay I was looking to hear more of it than most people were, but I mean Mike Pence is really famous for having pushed the most aggressive pro-LGBT-discrimination bill in the country, [and] having to really embarrassingly walk it back.

When he was in Congress, he said that HIV and AIDS funding should not be disbursed unless it was also spent — federal dollars — spent to try to cure people from being gay. I mean, he’s got a really, really, really radical position and history and current positions on gay issues. It didn’t come up at all.”

Maddow placed much of the blame at the feet of moderator Elaine Quijano.

I think that the debate was essentially curated, it was essentially led as if it was refrigerator poetry. Honestly, I think the topics were alphabetical. You can’t have somebody who’s been a religious right warrior his entire public life and get to one question on what was described as social issues in the last three minutes of the debate and can think that you are actually having these guys engage on what they’ve fought about.”

She added that Kaine only brought up LGBTQ rights “in the context of Russia once, but didn’t bring it up in the context of Indiana.”

Watch Maddow’s comments below.

Ellen DeGeneres Named One Of The ‘Highest Paid’ TV Stars

Research by Variety has revealed LGBT actors and personalities are among some of the highest paid in television, it has been revealed.

It’s believed that for hosting her show, Ellen Degeneres makes around $20 million a year. Alongside her you have, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons taking home around $1 million an episode.

Modern Family’s favourite gay dads – Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson – pick up around $250,000 per show.

Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow and Andy Cohen get about $11 million, $7 million and $5 million respectively.

Pansexual pop singer, Miley Cyrus took home between $13 and $15 million for appearing on The Voice.

Although Jeffrey Tambor isn’t LGBT himself, for playing the part of trans woman, Maura, in Transparent he picks up around $275,000 an episode.

The rest of the family takeaway about $100,000.

Other popular stars who have made the list include Judge Judy who is believed to make around $47 million and The Game of Thrones cast who make around $500,000 an episode.

Kevin Spacey also picks up around half a million an episode for playing scheming President Frank Underwood.

This Month In LGBTQ History: September

Today, I can proudly kiss my girlfriend in public. Forty years ago, I would have been convicted for that. That’ s what happened to two men who kissed in public at a California rest stop in 1976; they were arrested, convicted and forced to register as sex offenders.

I’m so grateful every day for the progress that the LGBT movement has made in America. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve come so far.

With help from LavenderEffect.org, I’d like to remember some major LGBT landmarks that happened in September.

September 28, 1292:

In what is now Belgium, a man is convicted of sodomy and burned to death at the stake – unfortunately, this is the first of many executions for “homosexual acts” in Western Europe.

September 25, 1791:

Leaders of the French Revolution create a new law code that decriminalizes consensual gay sex (by not mentioning it).

September 2, 1907:

Dr. Evelyn Hooker is born, and will go on to empirically prove that homosexuality isn’t a mental illness. Because of her research, homosexuality will be removed from the DSM.

 September 29, 1926:

An older woman seduces a younger woman in The Captive, a lesbian melodrama that creates an uproar on Broadway.

September 6, 1935:

An NYU professor is the first to use electric shock therapy, AKA aversion therapy, to “cure” gay people.

 September 11, 1961:

A San Francisco news station broadcasts The Rejected, the first made-for-TV documentary about contemporary gay life.

September 15, 1969:

New York’s first gay and lesbian newspaper, Gay Power, prints its first issue.

September 26, 1970:

After protests by the Gay Liberation Front, gay men are allowed to hold hands inside L.A. bars.

September 6, 1971:

The National Organization for Women publicly acknowledges that discrimination against lesbians is antifeminist.

September 1, 1977:

The Gay Republicans club is founded.

September 5, 1987:

The Homomonument is dedicated in the Netherlands; this monument honors LGBT victims of the Nazis.

September 10, 1996:

The US Senate passes the Defense of Marriage Act, banning gay marriage.

September 10, 2002:

Same-sex couples in South Africa receive the right to jointly adopt children.

September 8, 2008:

Rachel Maddow premieres The Rachel Maddow Show and becomes America’s first openly gay prime-time news anchor.

September 9, 2010:

A California court rules the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy as unconstitutional based on the first and fifth amendments.

What will your role in history be?

 

Rachel Maddow Warns That Mississippi New Anti-LGBT Law Could Cost The State Billions

Out TV host, Rachel Maddow, broke the news at the end of last week that Mississippi faces the threat of losing federal funding for transport, housing and urban development, because of the state’s new new anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom’ law.

On her show, she said the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Transportation were both “evaluating” their position on Mississippi’s new law.

If these agencies find that Mississippi is in violation of federal non-discrimination policies, then Mississippi, too, like North Carolina, they could use billions of federal dollars, which North Carolina cannot afford, but which Mississippi desperately cannot afford.”

While the process is expected to take some months, the state could effectively lose aid if it is found that it goes against federal protections.

It is also been reported that North Carolina could face a similar fate.

Top 7 Inspirational Quotes For Those Who Have Yet to Come Out

If you haven’t come out of the closet yet, there’s one thing for certain in your life: Finding the right words can be hard. Even for those who have already come out, there are often others who you haven’t come out to yet that might be difficult for you to tell.

However, coming out of the closet is a monumentally freeing experience, and for anyone who is in a position to do so safely, it’s a great feeling to be able to say, with confidence, who you really are and what you really want. Sometimes, we just need someone to (figuratively) hold our hands and tell us it’s going to be okay.

Thankfully, with the internet, it’s not so hard to find someone who’s been in the place you are now. Even if your family is truly supportive, coming out can be scary – but knowing that someone else has been in your exact position can help ease some of your fears.

“The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.”
― Rachel Maddow

This quote is powerful, and helps to placate a lot of the negativity associated with the labels of gay, lesbian, etc. When you come out to someone, you’re taking away the power of their words when used to hurt you. After all, you told them you were gay – how is it an insult to state the known?

 

“So, let me get this straight– You want me to stop being a lesbian and being attracted to women because it is a ‘sin’? Last time I checked, when you lie you are sinning. Sure, I could tell you I am no longer a lesbian or that I am no longer attracted to women and am straight, or I could even tell you the moon is made of cheese. I could tell you many things, but the moon will still not be made of cheese, and I will still not be attracted to men. I could tell you a lie in order to placate you, but isn’t the truth supposed to set me free? I choose truth over lies any day of the week.”
― Cristina Marrero

This quote is powerful for those who are afraid to come out to their loved ones because of religion. Marrero perfectly sums up the power of the truth – we gain power when we embrace the truth, even if a lie is easier to accept. If someone tells you that God will not love you anymore if you’re gay, you can gently remind them that God created you this way, and you are in no position to deny the facts!

 

“It’s hard not to be a fighter when you’re constantly under siege.”
― Cassandra Duffy

This particular quote doesn’t specifically deal with coming out, but it can apply to any part of your life. If you feel that you are under attack for who you are, it’s your natural instinct to want to fight back. Naturally, that means that in order to reach peace within ourselves, we must want there to be peace – and we must fight to destroy the negativity that surrounds us. Thankfully, the two go hand in hand.

 

“To those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender-let me say- you are not alone. Your struggle, for the end to violence and discrimination, is a shared struggle. Today, I stand with you. And I call upon all countries and people, to stand with you too.

A historic shift is underway. We must tackle the violence, decriminalize consensual same sex relationships and end discrimination. We must educate the public. I call on this council and people of conscience to make this happen.

The time has come.”
― Ban Ki-Moon

When we come out, our primary goal is usually to put an end to the bitterness we feel inside ourselves. However, truthfully, some of the bitterness will translate to bitterness from other people. Ban Ki-Moon expresses the importance of standing together to beat this opposition. If we keep it internalized, we won’t ever truly be happy. We may not face the discrimination if we remain in the closet, but we will be allowing the discrimination to continue without standing alongside each other. We protect each other when we stand together.

 

“But I’m tired of coming out. All I ever do is come out. I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways. I get a girlfriend. I have a beer. And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.”
― Becky Albertalli

This quote addresses the fact that “coming out” is not just a one-time-thing. There are a million things to come out about, a billion times to come out, and a trillion reasons why you should. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to make such a big deal about it – but there’s no such thing as perfection, after all, and there will always be another occasion to tell the truth about ourselves.

 

“It’s okay. It may not seem like it right now, but you are going to be fine. I know it’s scary, but don’t be afraid. You are who you are, and you should love that person, and I don’t want anyone to have to go through 22 years of their life afraid to accept that.”
― Connor Franta

When we think of it this way, coming out seems to be the obvious choice. Even those who consider themselves honest people will likely be hesitant about coming out. As previously mentioned, even if you have an ample support system (which hopefully you do!) coming out is hard. But that doesn’t mean that the truth isn’t precious.

 

“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends if indeed they are your friends. You must tell the people you work with. You must tell the people in the stores you shop in. Once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and all. And once you do, you will feel so much better.”
― Harvey Milk

While I don’t necessarily agree that we “have” to come out, there is truth in this quote that will ring true for everyone in the gay community. The only way we have to “disarm” our oppressors is by addressing the fact that we are real – we cannot allow ourselves to remain invisible.

 

Of course, for those who are in unsupportive situations, it may be in your best interest to not come out. If it isn’t safe for you to reveal your true self, you shouldn’t let anyone pressure you to do so. However, there is a huge relief that comes from the simple act of being true to yourself.

Once you’ve come out (the first time or the hundredth) you have given yourself the power to be real.

This realness you’ll feel is a magical and addicting feeling – if you’ve been living a lie for most of your life, you can understand how liberating it is to finally show your true self.

If you are afraid to come out of the closet, please don’t hesitate to speak to someone who’s been there. There is a wealth of places on the internet that will allow you to find like-minded individuals, some even anonymously. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to come out, and it’s important that you find the way that works best to you. Sometimes it may be subtle, and other times overt. The main thing to consider is how coming out will make you feel.

Be strong, be courageous, and be truthful – our community needs you!

Rachel Maddow: Republicans Are ‘Rabidly Anti-Gay, Like It’s 1985’

MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow is one of the best known names in USA news. She has hosted the Emmy-award winning Rachel Maddow Show since 2008, a role which made her the very first openly gay primetime news anchor in the United States. And while her sexuality (and her coverage of LBTQ-affecting topics) has earned her a large queer following, it’s her outspoken views (she once said that she is “undoubtedly a liberal”) that have made Maddow loved by everyone.

Rachel Maddow Show

Last month, the United States Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage across the country, establishing it as a right that cannot be taken away from same-sex couples via anti-marriage equality laws such as those that had been both passed and sometimes repealed in many American states. However, with some conservative states refusing to support the ruling and with other pressing LGBTQ issues still harming the community, there’s still a lot that needs to be done.

Speaking to Maddow shortly after the Supreme Court’s announcement, Variety spoke to her as part of their ‘marriage equality’ issue, asking her how “wide-ranging” she thought the decision is:

… [The Supreme Court’s] ruling is about marriage, which is an important aspect of equal rights. But the fact remains that in many places, you can still get fired or evicted if your boss or landlord knows you’re gay — or even thinks you’re gay. Basic discrimination issues can have a material impact on the lives of many gay people; a lot of those fights will remain.

There’s been a self-congratulatory, easy narrative — how gay rights have won, the issue is settled, the battle is over. The progress is true about the country as a whole. But we have a 50-50 divided political system, and one party is rabidly anti-gay, like it’s 1985.”

Indeed, some of the most outspoken people to come out against the Supreme Court’s decision have been Republican politicians. Next year, Americans go to the polls to vote for President Barack Obama’s successor and Maddow says that we can expect this anti-gay rhetoric to continue:

If anybody were against marriage equality in the Democratic primary, it would hurt them. But there are about two dozen Republicans seeking the nomination and, other than George Pataki, every one of them is against marriage equality. None of them thinks it will be a liability to be anti-gay in 2016. And some of them are anti-gay on every civil-rights issue.

Scott Walker wants to amend the Constitution to deny gay rights. When George W. Bush was running in 2004, that’s one of the things he said he wanted to do. But once he got re-elected, he dropped it. It’s surprising that more than 10 years later, it’s still considered a live issue.

There’s a lot of anti-gay organizing happening in the Republican party; they’re still passing legislation all over the country, even though we are supposedly in a more tolerant time. Much of this anti-gay movement flies under the radar, because the Big Picture is that the country is becoming more accepting.

But the backlash is vicious. I know there are a lot of progressive Republicans. But what’s going on inside high-end Republican politics and Republican politics within the states doesn’t match this happy-talk narrative.”

How will this play out? And will these same Republican nominees find themselves pressured into supporting LGBTQ people instead? While such an outcome could happen it seems unlikely, so as Maddow states, “there is still a long way to go”.

 

OUT Power 50: Apple CEO Tim Cook Dethrons Ellen DeGeneres to be Named Most Powerful Queer Person In America

Apple CEO Tim Cook has dethroned Ellen DeGeneres in OUT’s 9th annual Power 50 list. The list, which looks at “which LGBT voices have power, how they wield it, and who it affects,” was released April 15 and contains TV personalities, politicians, activists and businesspeople.

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Similarly high on the list were Rachel Maddow (No. 3), Jane Lynch (No. 12) and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox, who is the only transgender person on the list (coming in at No. 9).

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Also making the cut were Brittney Griner, Ellen Page and Robin Roberts.

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Click here to read more on who made this year’s list of the most powerful LGBT people in America

Rachel Maddow Explains the Same-Sex #MarriageMomentum State to State

In this video Rachel Maddow Explains the Same-Sex #MarriageMomentum State to State  over the 36 hours. On Monday, same-sex couples could marry in 19 states across America, and by Tuesday evening that number jumped to 35.

Voting rights taking a beating ahead of midterm elections

Maddow explains the Supreme Court announcement in which it declined to hear any of the seven same-sex marriage cases presented, and the impact that had.

The MSNBC anchor goes on to talk about how America is moving forward on marriage rights, but backward on voting rights an important topic you won’t want to miss.