Friday, June 16, 2017

DAYS OF LOT: Drag becomes front and center of American Entertainment!

Drag has been around since the days of Dionysus, but no ancient Greek ever sashayed nearly as statuesquely as RuPaul Charles. The world’s most famous and influential drag performer took a long (and still) marginalized art form and used it to create an empire — and in doing so, built a shimmering 30-year-long career as twisted as pop culture itself to become one of the most important LGBTQ icons of our time. That’s why the inimitable RuPaul is the perfect cover star to grace
Entertainment Weekly’s annual LGBTQ special issue, which this year features a reunion with the stars of The L Word, a gay pop preview (including a sneak peek at the Will & Grace revival), and our list of the 25 greatest LGBTQ entertainment moments from the past 25 years.

As for the story of RuPaul, it would certainly be enough to hear from Ru himself about all of his grand achievements (like signing on as the first face of MAC’s Viva Glam cosmetics line in 1994, or becoming national TV’s first openly gay host with his VH1 talk show in 1996). READ MORE

DAYS OF LOT: Serbia’s president formally nominates country’s first openly gay prime minister

June 16, 2017

Serbia’s president on Thursday nominated the highly conservative country’s first openly gay prime minister, a move likely to infuriate both the Christian Orthodox church and ultranationalists. President Aleksandar Vucic announced that Ana Brnabic, 41, was nominated as the prime minister-designate, which could also make her the first female head of government in the country’s history. Her cabinet needs formal approval by Parliament next week. It was “a difficult
decision reached in the interest of Serbia and its citizens,” said Vucic, a former extremist-turned-reformist who has promised to boost gay rights as part of efforts to move closer to European Union membership.”If elected in parliament, I will run the government with dedication and responsibility and I will do my job honestly and with love,” Brnabic told state Tanjug news agency. READ MORE

Oregon becomes first state to add third option to driver’s licenses

June 16, 2017

Oregon on Thursday became the first U.S. state to allow residents to identify as neither male nor female on state driver’s licenses, a decision that transgender advocates called a victory for civil rights. Under a policy unanimously adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission, residents can choose to have an “X,” for non-specified, displayed on their driver’s license or identification cards rather than an “M” for male or “F” for female.
The policy change was cheered by supporters as a major step in expanding legal recognition and civil rights for people who do not identify as male or female. This includes individuals with both male and female anatomies, people without a gender identity and those who identify as a different gender than listed on their birth certificate. The state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division expects to start offering the option in July. READ MORE