starobserver.com.au - 1 323 Showbiz News and Updates

Peruvian trans activist Rodrigo Ventocilla has died in police custody in Bali after being arrested at Denpasar airport. Ventocilla was a Harvard Kennedy School student from Peru and was known as a prominent trans rights activist.The trans activist was detained on August 6 after local police found ‘suspicious items’ in his luggage while going through customs, as reported by the BBC.

Jacksonville State footballer Jack Dawson was arrested on multiple counts of assault against a former teammate Troy Municipal Court Supervision Officer David Hennigan confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser on Monday. In a federal lawsuit which was obtained and publicised by Jacksonville’s CBS 42, ex-teammate John Haynes has alleged he was attacked because Dawson and fellow teammates thought he was gay. The assault ranged from verbal attacks to forced sodomy with a pool cue. Dawson turned himself into authorities in Troy (Alabama), on Monday and was released on bond. Criminal warrants for Dawson’s arrest were issued last October.

From comedy to kink and quiet contemplation, Melbourne has got it all! Welcome to our pick of queer events that you can check out this week in Melbourne. Image: Pride Of Footscray BarIf there’s one thing us queers know how to do, it’s laugh. With Geraldine Hickey to MC, check out the best of Melbourne’s up and coming queer comedic talent at this classic LGBTQIA+ friendly venue, ‘Pride of Our Footscray’.

Two Australian rules football players from a suburban Melbourne club are in trouble after mobile video footage emerged of them performing a sex act in the middle of a crowded pub.The incident has led to the Glen Waverly Football Netball Club promising action against the two players and the other team members involved in the alleged incident.“The Committee has been made aware of an incident which has occurred during the post season celebrations of some of our senior playing group,” the Glen Waverly Football Netball Club committee said in a statement. The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday August 14 after the club’s final game of Eastern League’s Division 3 season, where they finished last and were demoted to Division 4.The last place did not dampen the spirit of the players as they celebrated at a bar, with other patrons present. The Daily Mail reported that the raucous group indulged in some heavy drinking, smashed glasses inside and outside the pub, vaped indoors, stole drinks from the bar, danced on tables and trashed the venue property.

Elton John and the Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears have come together to collaborate on the creation of a brand new musical based on the life of the legendary televangelist and LGBTQI icon, Tammy Faye Messner. The new musical, entitled Tammy Faye is slated to begin its run at the Almeida Theatre in London’s West End in October 2022.The cast of Tammy Faye, which includes Beautiful’s Katie Brayben, The Book of Mormon’s Andrew Rannells, and Zubin Varla, began rehearsals for the show this week. Tammy Faye will feature music by Elton John, with lyrics by Jake Shears. John has also famously written music for The Lion King and Billy Elliott. Elton John was nominated for a Tony Award in 1998 for Best Original Score for his work collaborating on the score for The Lion King and was nominated again in 2009 for Best Original Score for his work on Billy Elliott.The musical is based on the life of the iconic Tammy Faye Messner, who along with her former husband Jim Bakker fronted the PTL Club television ministry during the 1970s and 1980s.

From comedy to kink and quiet contemplation, Melbourne has got it all! Welcome to our pick of queer events that you can check out this week in Melbourne. Image: Pride Of Footscray BarIf there’s one thing us queers know how to do, it’s laugh. With Geraldine Hickey to MC, check out the best of Melbourne’s up and coming queer comedic talent at this classic LGBTQIA+ friendly venue, ‘Pride of Our Footscray’.

The National Union of Students’ Queer/LGBTQIA+ department has launched a national campaign to stop the deadnaming of trans, non-binary and gender diverse students. The campaign, My Records, My Rights: Stop Deadnaming at Universities!, aims to prevent the use of deadnames of students across tertiary education.A survey conducted in April 2022 by the NUS Queer/LGBTQIA+ department found that every single respondent had experienced some form of deadnaming at universities.  Around 83% of students said there was a persistent deadnaming issue at their university, with 20% saying they were dead named by staff. “What students are trying to do is make sure that universities are aware of their chosen name, but the systems in place just don’t allow it,” Jordy Duffy, the National Queer/LGBTQIA+ Officer for the NUS told Star Observer. “Universities have said ‘Oh, it’s an IT issue,’ and we’re trying to basically say no, it’s about validating a person for who they are.”Jordy mentions that on top of the disappointing statistics from the survey, they’ve listened to a lot of shocking individual stories.The NUS said it has been in contact with a variety of departments and student unions throughout the country, which has only made it more apparent how widespread the issue is.

Australia’s new defence minister Richard Marles has scrapped his predecessor Peter Dutton’s ban on “woke” events like LGBTQI morning teas organised by Australian Defence Force employees. Dutton, at present the Leader of the Opposition, had brought in the ban in May 2021 after the department held morning teas with staff wearing rainbow clothing to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia. Dutton, then the Defence Minister, had got Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell and Secretary Greg Moriarty  to issue a memo to ban such events. “Defence represents the people of Australia and must at all times be focused on our primary mission to protect Australia’s national security interests. We must not be putting effort into matters that distract from this,” the note read. A new note issued by Campbell and Moriarty on August 23, overturned the ban on the direction of deputy prime minister and defence minister Marles, reported The Australian.  “Each year we recognise events of significance and importance.

A gay former marine is being hailed as a hero for his timely intervention that averted a tragedy after an agitated man brought a grenade into a popular gay bar in Florida. The tense moments were captured on the bar’s closed circuit camera TV videos. The incident occurred on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, around 9.26 pm, when a man walked into Corners Pub in Wilton Manors, Florida, and placed a grenade on the bar counter. Bartender Joseph Shakespeare told local news station  WPLG that the the man said he had guns in his car.  Darryl Darling, a gay former marine, overheard the conversation and stepped in to help.

Christian schools in Western Australia are sounding the alarm against the state government’s plans to make changes to the Equal Opportunity Act and introduce law reforms to protect LGBTQI students in religious schools. The Australian Association of Christian Schools claimed that they may be forced to shut down their institutions in WA if the government’s proposals become law. In other words, the association is claiming they would rather shut down than protect LGBTQI students from discrimination. Last week, Western Australian Attorney General, John Quigley said that the government broadly accepted the 163 recommendations by the Law Reform Commission after its review of the Equal Opportunity Act. ACCS claimed that the recommendations “fail to protect religious freedom… (and) traditional views on sexual and gender expression.”The peak body for Christian schools said that the law reforms would “impact the way Christian schools employ staff and enrol students, making it difficult for schools to employ staff and preference families in enrolment who share the beliefs of the school.” “Unless the Government pushes back against some of these recommendations, it will be very difficult to operate a Christian school according to Christian principles and beliefs once they become law,” ACCS Executive Officer Vanessa Cheng said in a statement. ACCS has asked its members to send a message to their respective political representatives opposing the law reforms.

“I am not the sum of my histories. I am a collection of my possibilities.”This sage advice neatly sums up my recent experiences with other older men. After retirement, and especially reaching the age of seventy, men seem to divide into two different streams. Some seemingly decide that life has become dull, and dormant, and they continue to live in the memory of past glories. Of continuing friendships but only with ex-work colleagues.

The Bookshop Darlinghurst, Australia’s oldest LGBTQI bookstore, turns 40 this month.In recent years, The Bookshop has weathered the impacts of COVID, economic and political uncertainty and inclement weather, and for a while its future was precarious.

By Karl JohnsonHistory has taught us how to effectively respond to an infectious disease outbreak – but we must work together and act fast.  For many of us, this feels familiar.  We are watching the exponential growth of an infectious outbreak overseas while having more mild impacts here at home, yet that might likely change. Much like the early days of the COVID-19 and HIV pandemics, our local situation lags behind what we see in places like the United States and Europe.

Victoria’s department of health on Saturday issued a health alert over an emerging monkeypox outbreak in Melbourne and increase in cases of local transmission. As of August 18, Victoria reported around 40 monkeypox cases, with many due to local transmission. Though monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, the current outbreak has been predominantly among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men.

A Queensland-based dancer and cabaret performer is hoping to spread awareness about testicular cancer after months of facing down the disease. Jared Mifsud, 30, cabaret star and dancer, who lives in Gold Coast has been documenting his treatment.He continued, “I found a growth on my left testicle. I booked an appointment to see my GP and he referred me immediately to get an Ultra Sound.“The following Tuesday I got the news that the growth was suspicious and I was referred to see a specialist that very next day.

Former NRL player Brett Finch on Tuesday pleaded guilty to sharing child sexual abuse material on an adult phone gay sex chat service. Trigger Warning: This story discusses child sexual abuse, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The former State of Origin star pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit or publish child abuse material, reported ABC.

Former NRL player Brett Finch on Tuesday pleaded guilty to sharing child sexual abuse material on an adult gay sex phone chat service. Trigger Warning: This story discusses child sexual abuse, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The former State of Origin star pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit or publish child abuse material, reported ABC.

In 1992, Gregg Araki’s gay indie-thriller The Living End rode a cultural wave of Queer cinema, a cinematic movement which changed the way gay audiences viewed themselves and the world in which they lived.While critical reaction at the time of the film’s release was mixed (Quentin Crisp called the film “dreadful”), The Living End has gone on to maintain an influential place in the annals of gay film. Despite an essentially non-existent budget The Living End went on to become a cult favorite, and influenced a raft of Queer filmmaking which followed in its wake.Now, 30 years after the film hit cinemas, Araki remembers the production of his best known film as “this whole crazy adventure and we had nothing to lose.”Speaking to i-D, in celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary, Araki recalled, “We just kind of went for it.

Ellia Green, Australian Olympic gold medalist and former rugby union player, came out as transgender on Tuesday. Green, the first Olympian to come out as a transgender man, represented Australia in the women’s rugby sevens, winning Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Green came out in a heartfelt speech at the opening of the Bingham Cup’s international summit on ending transphobia and homophobia in sports. Bingham Cup also known as the Gay Rugby World Cup, is the world’s largest amateur rugby union tournament, and is named after Mark Bingham, a hero of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Carl Nassib, the first out gay active player in the NFL, on a one-year deal. This will see the return of the  defensive end to a team where he played for two seasons in 2018-2019. The NFL player has racked up an impressive set of statistics, with 86 career games including 164 tackles and 22 sacks.

The 10th Bingham Cup, known as the Gay Rugby World Cup, is scheduled to start later this week in Ottawa, Canada. Over 1,700 LGBTQI players from over 150 teams and 20 participating countries, including Australia, will participate in the tournament from August 17 to August 21, 2022, hosted by the local team Ottawa Wolves. The world’s largest amateur rugby union tournament is named after Mark Bingham, a hero of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Australia’s favourite gay rugby team, Sydney Convicts are the current holders of the Bingham Cup.

Mr Gay World Foundation has sued former winner Louw Breytenbach, asking him and his publicist to “retract and apologise” for allegedly defamatory comments they made last year. South African human rights activist and TV presenter Breytenbach, was the winner of the Mr Gay World 2021 title, but resigned two months into his reign citing “value differences”. In a statement released to local media Breytenbach’s lawyer Quintin Steyn confirmed the legal action launched by the organisation.   A post shared by Louw Breytenbach (@louwbreytenbach02)Breytenbach told The Citizen that he had participated in the competition not for the title, but to use the platform to be a voice for the LGBTQI community. “There are real problems out there and we, as winners, need to get our hands dirty and work. My reason for resigning was never to tarnish the reputation of the organisation, but rather because of value differences,” Breytenbach said. Steyn revealed that he had submitted a supplementary affidavit on behalf of both Breytenbach and Prins.  A post shared by Louw Breytenbach (@louwbreytenbach02)Breytenbach had detailed his disagreements with the Foundation when he resigned as Mr Gay World in 2021, after refusing to sign a contract which said that the organisation would be his exclusive agent. Breytenbach at the time said that he already had an agent to manage his TV and acting gigs.

Australian rules football (AFL) Women’s star Sabrina Frederick announced that her wife Lili Cadee-Matthews had given birth to the couple’s first child.“Our tiny dancer made her way into the world on the 9th of August 2022, at 3:06am. Mum and baby are doing really well,” Frederick posted on Instagram with photos of the couple’s newborn baby.

Police in London, Ontario have owned up to their mistakes over the arrest of Canadian trans Twitch streamer Clara Sorrenti after receiving hoax 911 calls that she was planning to attend city hall to shoot people.“We believe there was a deliberate attempt by a third party to place suspicion on Sorrenti in relation to what are now believed to be false threats to harm people at City Hall.  This is sometimes referred to as “swatting,” London Police Service Chief Steve Williams said in a statement. Sorrenti, who is well known by her Twitch handle Keffals, had in a YouTube video described how she was woken up with an “assault rifle in (her) face on August 5. The police claimed that an email impersonating Sorrenti had been sent to every city councillor that morning.

US actor Anne Heche has been declared legally brain dead a week after being involved in a car crash that left her critically injured. The Six Days, Seven Nights actor was taken to the hospital on August 5 after her car crashed into a Los Angeles home and caught on fire. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”Heche’s family had kept her on life support to allow time for OneLegacy Foundation to find recipients who would be a match, as it had been “her wish” to donate her organs.

Australian Special Forces veteran, founder of the Australian Values Party, and OnlyFans model Heston Russell has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man at a private party in January 2022.Russell, 36, received a summons to Downing Centre Local Court in May, after a five-month police investigation.In a statement at the time, Russell explained that “the allegations are completely unfounded, which I have no doubt the police will discover in due course.”Police state that on January 2 Russell attended a private pool party in Potts Point, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.According to witnesses that talked with the Sydney Morning Herald, Russell allegedly made “unwanted advances” toward a man at the party.Russell allegedly threatened to throw the man of the balcony at which point the man told Russell to leave his boyfriend and him alone. At this point, according to Sydney Morning Herald, Russell struck the man in the face and was then escorted out of the party by security. At the time, Russell told the Sydney Morning Herald, “That’s an outrageous lie. I didn’t hit anyone.

A month after after gay sex videos and screen grabs of men having sex with other men leaked on social media, the Maldives police have arrested four persons and said it intends to charge 34 other men. Those arrested include a police officer and the brother of former President and current speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed.If convicted the men face up to eight years in prison and 100 lashes.The gay sex videos and screen grabs were leaked on social media last month. Following a public outcry, the police arrested a Bangladeshi national on July 12, 2022.

Two Saudi sisters, who had reportedly applied for asylum in Australia on the grounds that one was a lesbian woman and the other an atheist, were found dead in a Southwest Sydney flat in June 2022. The sisters had had their applications for permanent protection visas, based on sexuality and religious beliefs, denied earlier this year. Trigger Warning: This story discusses deaths of two women, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The sisters, Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were found dead in their Canterbury unit in Sydney’s southwest on June 7.

A 74-year-old Long Island man, who had sent over 60 letters to LGBTQI persons, organisations and businesses, including the Stonewall Inn in New York, threatening to “kill, shoot, and bomb” them, was sentenced to 30 months in prison last week. Between 2013 and 2021, Robert Fehring, a retired high school teacher, had terrorised LGBTQI individuals and businesses in New York by sending them letters threatening violence. His eight-year long reign of terror came to an end in 2021 when he was arrested by the FBI. Trigger Warning: This story discusses threats of violence against LGBTQI persons, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.In his letter threatening the owners of Stonewall Inn, Fehring wrote, “we will blow up/burn your establishments down.

Out gay British Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley is receiving praise for his new documentary film ‘Illegal To Be Me‘ that explores the lives of gay athletes, many living in countries where homosexuality is illegal. Daley said the shooting the film exposed him to the fact that the laws against homosexuality in Commonwealth countries were a legacy of British colonialism. Tom DaleyIn a social media post, Daley revealed that he had been travelling around the world meeting other gay athletes for the film. “This year I have been travelling around the Commonwealth, visiting countries where same sex relationships are a crime,” said Daley. “I have spoken to athletes, advocates and activists to try and find out how they think sporting federations can better support and protect LGBTQIA+ athletes. The people in the documentary highlight the importance of visibility for queer people and it taught me an incredible amount about how we can continue the fight for equality,” said Daley. Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Daley had in October 2021 said that he was on a “mission” to get the Olympics to ban countries where homosexuality is punishable by death.Tom Daley (centre) with LGBTQI advocates and athletes at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.Last month, at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Daley along with six other LGBTQI athletes carried the Queen’s baton into the stadium. “In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in three of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence.

Many observers in the LGBTIQ community were stunned by the recent acquittal of two young men in the murder trial of 56 year old gay man, Peter Keeley.Trigger Warning: This story discusses killings of LGBTQI people, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.It was a shocking crime where the perpetrators allegedly lured him to a coastal NSW town using the gay dating app Grindr.

Out gay Australian footballer Josh Cavallo is on a fitness journey and he now has the abs to prove it. Cavallo recently shared a shirtless bathroom selfie video with his chiselled abs on full display.  “Your body is simply a result of your mind’s thoughts.

Seven years after property developers closed down one of London’s beloved gay bars, former patrons are rallying around to raise funds to open UK’s first community-run LGBTQI venue. Joiners Arms on Hackney Road in East London, counted late fashion designer Alexander McQueen and actor Sir Ian McKellen among its regulars. Property developers shut down the bar in 2015, after they bought the plot to turn it into apartments and offices. The developers promised to fund a new LGBTQI venue at the same spot but plans stalled after pandemic hit work on a planned hotel. “I’m so proud to share the work we’ve done to turn this utopian idea into a real space – one that can survive as a viable business, will create opportunities for queer people to work, perform, create, socialise and just ‘be’ on their own terms,” Amy Roberts, Chair Friends of the Joiners Arms said in a statement. Actors Stephen Fry and  Mawaan Rizwan and comedian Joe Lycett are among those who have supported the campaign. The campaign offered shares in the new bar to supporters, with each share worth £ 25.

Salt Lake City Police are investigating a hate crime against a gay couple in Sandy, Utah.According to the Associated Press, Christian Peacock, 18, and his boyfriend Jacob Metcalf, 18, were attacked by a group of young men outside Peacock’s family home just after midnight on August 6.Peacock told one of the young men,“You’re probably also gay and acting out because of it.”This is when Peacock was punched in the side of the head.  According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the punch was “so hard that he’s still got teeth marks indented inside his cheek from the impact.”He can then be heard on the video saying “You think you can just hit people?”According to Sandy Police Sgt. Greg Moffit,  a 17-year-old was arrested for assault.  Charges have not yet been filed.Moffit is looking into including a hate crime enhancement to the charges because he says, “it was very obvious that the suspect knew (Peacock) was a gay man and he was targeted for that.”He continued “We want our residents to know and we want the public to know that if this happens in our city we’re not going to tolerate it.

Australia will roll out its monkeypox vaccinations from Monday, August 8. Initially, the vaccines will be prioritised for gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men who are at high risk of exposure. The Australian government had last week announced that it had secured nearly half a million doses of JYNNEOS, 3rd generation Monkeypox vaccines from Bavarian Nordic.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Australia’s only out gay head of state, has an important message for public health authorities dealing with the monkeypox outbreak. Barr said that it was important to get the message out that this was not some “niche disease” that only impacted gay men. Barr was speaking to the media following Thursday’s National Cabinet meeting where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, state premiers and territory chief ministers met to coordinate the national response to COVID-19, foot and mouth disease and monkeypox. Barr said that some of the commentary around monkeypox was “concerning”.  “This monkeypox is not a gay man’s disease. Monkeypox is transmitted by close, personal contact.