The Daily Sting, Thursday: 50 Companies Sign Trans Pledge, New Carly Rae Jepsen Track
Happy All Hallows Day to all (hope you aren’t too hungover), and to all some gay headlines on this fine Thursday. Let’s start with the trans pledge signed by 50 of America’s (and the world’s) biggest companies and corporations. And to help with that hangover, how about a new Carly Rae Jepsen bop?
In other news, Pose and American Horror Story star Billy Porter has penned an op-ed sharing his own brutal story of sex abuse at the hands of a family member, Celebrity Big Brother India is currently dealing with some homophobic BS and we might’ve found the gayest “first dance” ever to occur during a wedding. Like, ever.
From a groundbreaking trans pledge to new Carly Rae Jepsen, here are the day’s queerest headlines:
1. 50+ U.S. Companies Sign Trans Pledge in Wake of Trump’s Attempts at Erasure (News)
It was just last week when a Trump administration memo was leaked, proclaiming an attempt to literally erase the way many trans people self-identify by narrowing the definition of gender to male or female. Well now more than 50 American companies have signed a pledge to stand with trans people. Says the trans pledge: “We oppose any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations. We also fundamentally oppose any policy or regulation that violates the privacy rights of those that identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex.”
Among the 50+ companies to sign the trans pledge are Airbnb, Amazon, Bank of America, Coca Cola, Facebook, Google, Intel, Levi’s, Lyft, Nike, Pepsi, Twitter and Uber.
2. Billy Porter Shares Harrowing Story of Sex Abuse by Step-Dad (Celebrities)
Finding inspiration in the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process for the U.S. Supreme Court, the star of hit FX series Pose and American Horror Story has penned a piece for Out magazine in which he recounts past sexual abuse at the hands of his stepfather. Porter claims his step-dad “groomed him,” starting with porn and eventually escalating to rape. It’s a hard-to-read but incredibly insightful look at how people cope with abuse and its aftermath. Highly worth a read.
3. Celebrity Big Brother India Currently Dealing With Homophobic Contestants (TV)
The Times of India is reporting that India’s version of Celebrity Big Brother (called Bigg Boss) has seen a 22-year-old straight TV star mocked on the show for seeming gay — by multiple other participants. A cricket star housemate mocked Rohit Suchanti for what he deemed gay mannerisms and for wearing purple shorts, which he says is a sign of someone being gay. (Seriously.) Another of the show’s cast members also disparaged Suchanti’s sexuality, and yet another called Suchanti too good looking to be straight.
4. Gay Couple’s First Dance Video Goes Viral for All the Right Reasons (Culture)
It’s pretty typical for a gay wedding to go ‘all out,’ but the recent wedding of couple PJ and Noah really went there. Video of the couple’s first dance has been shared online, and people can’t stop talking about it — as they should, considering it’s a mashup of Gloria Estefan, Madonna, a little tap dancing and, yes, the fully choreographed final number from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Watch the happy couple’s first dance above.
5. New Carly Rae Jepsen Is Here! Listen To and Watch Brand-New Track ‘Party for One’ (Music)
Her upcoming 2019 album still doesn’t have a title, but it does have a first single, as the pop music-loving world found out today. The new Carly Rae Jepsen song “Party for One” debuted this morning, and the gays have already lost their minds over it. The track is a tribute to self-love, and more interestingly stays within the same ’80s synth pop groove of her latest full-album releases, Emotion and Emotion Side B. The music video (above) features a diverse cast of people who live in the same apartment building, each having a “party for one” until a building-wide blackout brings them together.
