Posts by Josh Middleton

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G PHILLY’S SUMMER ISSUE OUT TOMORROW

Our smokin' hot guide is stuffed with everything you need to make the most out of your summer.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/22/2013 at 9:38AM | No Comments

It may not seem like it with all this wishy-washy weather we’ve been having, but summertime is rapping on our gay doors. And, oh look, it comes bearing a special gift: the Summer Issue of G Philly! This edition of our glossy quarterly is packed with all kinds of goodies meant to help you get the most out of the upcoming summer months. Here’s a little taste of what’s inside:

Dan Contarino becomes victim of the recent wave of hate crimes sweeping through the Big Apple.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/21/2013 at 10:22AM | No Comments

What on Earth is happening in New York City? The metropolis is supposed to be the epicenter of LGBTQ rights in New York, but lately it has become a veritable gay-bashing battle zone. Over the weekend, reports surfaced about a man who was fatally shot in Greenwich Village — allegedly for being gay — and today I’m getting word that the string of abuse has hit close to home.

Bruce Yelk at nightlifegay.com reports that Dan Contarino, former promoter of Shampoo Nightclub’s Shaft Fridays, was assaulted last night in the East Village, at Avenue D and 4th Street — on the same night that a rally was held in NYC in response to five other bias-related attacks in the last month. According to Yelk, witnesses have said that Contarino was kicked and beaten by an attacker who was yelling “faggot.” Those same witnesses said they rushed to his aid, but the assailant got away.

Yelk reports that Contarino is shaken up with a nasty black eye. I reached out to him for comment, but haven’t heard back yet. Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE [4:54 p.m., 5/21/2013]: Contarino still hasn’t returned my calls, but I’ve been following a string of comments on his Facebook feed. Here’s what he’s reported so far:

1. “THANKS FOR CALLS…. GAY BASHED LAST NITE…. back from small surgery…. CHEST XRAYS THIS AM…. suspect still at large… police n media waiting to interview me… U JUST WANNA CRY N MOVE ON….”

2. ”UGH…. THIS IS JUST AS BRUTAL AS the ATTACK…. 3 hours… 8 detective interviews… now waiting for Hate Crimes Unit main interview… THEN BACK TO HOSPITAL….”

3. “NBC JUST CALLED ME… another HATE CRIME ATTACK in SOHO this morning !!”

4. “Still at precinct…. I NEED A FAB BIG PAIR OF D&G or GUCCIS during this healing process… LOL”

5. “Just signed official police report at 4pm…. the incorrect one some newsreels posted earlier… INCORRECT”

6. “NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCE FOR ATTACKS…. been informed to expect all newsstations to interview me at hospital tonite..”

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INFOGRAPHIC: WHAT MARRIAGE EQUALITY LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE POND

This color-coded map illustrates the status of marriage equality in the 58 European Countries.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/21/2013 at 9:35AM | No Comments

Last week I showed you a neat infographic of the current state of marriage equality in the United States. Here’s the European version, published by ILGA-Europe. On this map, green represents one end of the spectrum — the countries that are most accepting of same-sex marriage — while red (hello, Russia) marks those that are most opposed.

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Have gay news you’d like to share with G Philly? Send tips to jmiddleton@phillymag.com.

PHILADELPHIA’S LGBT VOTING GUIDE FOR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

The list of Equality Pennsylvania's endorsed candidates includes two openly gay men running in Harrisburg.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 6:27PM | No Comments

Is it just me or did Primary Election Day just slip up totally unexpected? Whatever the case, it’s tomorrow (Tue., May 21) and Equality Pennsylvania has released this LGBTQ voting guide of endorsed community leaders across the state who have “all pledged to work hard to advance the policies that matter most to LGBT people.” In Harrisburg, there are two openly gay men running for office: Ben Allatt (above, left), who’s running for City Council, and mayoral hopeful Dan Miller (above, right).

There aren’t many terribly exciting elections happening here in Philly, but every office counts if we want to make some major moves on the LGBTQ civil rights front this year. Here’s the list of Equality PA-endorsed candidates, starting with here in the 215. READ MORE

INFOGRAPHIC: THE EVOLUTION OF CHER

In honor of the gay icon's birthday, here's a timeline of her fabulous life so far.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 4:14PM | No Comments

Today, one of the greatest gay icons in gay-icon history turns 67. Here, thanks to CantMiss.tv, we turn back time to take a look at the life of the over-the-shoulder-hair-tossing, lip-snarling diva. READ MORE

PHOTOS: GOOD TIMES WERE HAD AT THE MAZZONI CENTER’S ELIXR EVENT

Scenes from the Center's annual fundraising gala.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 2:29PM | 1 Comment

Vocal trio Hotsy Totsy were among the evening's musical guests.

It may be one of the most important organizations in the city with a mission that’s no joke, but when it comes time to party, the Mazzoni Center (MC) knows how to throw down. On Saturday night, I went to its annual Elixr fundraiser, held way up on the 33rd level of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. The floor was packed with a colorful crowd representing every letter under the LGBT and ally rainbow — folks dressed to the hilt but not afraid to unfasten their top buttons or pull back their hair to have a good time. The evening was more about chatting with friends and meeting new ones than being tied to a chair listening to a bunch of stuffy speeches. There was ample food and drink to keep attendees giddy, and good music kept the vibe up and bop-y. And the best part about it was that we were having a good time for a good cause. READ MORE

METRO MEN’S CLOTHING WINS IBA LGBT BUSINESS AWARD

The Passyunk men's fashion boutique will use the $5K prize to add online-shopping capabilities to its website.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 12:14PM | No Comments

Metro Men's Clothing owner Tom Longo with Mayor Nutter and East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District's Renee Gilinger.

This afternoon, at a luncheon at the Sofitel Hotel, the Independence Business Alliance (IBA) announced that its annual LGBT Business Award will go to Passyunk men’s fashion boutique Metro Men’s Clothing (MMC). READ MORE

WATCH: ALL THE GAY SKETCHES ON THIS WEEKEND’S SNL

This weekend Ben Affleck hosted what is probably the gayest Saturday Night Live yet. Here I round up clips.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 11:22AM | 1 Comment

This weekend’s Saturday Night Live, with host Ben Affleck, may have been the gayest one ever — with three LGBTQ-centric sketches that touched on everything from same-sex weddings to gay conversion therapy. Below I’ve rounded them all up. Just click on the image to watch the video.

My favorite , “New Xanax,” was a commercial about a new pill that relieves the anxiety of having to measure up to the fabulous-ness of gay weddings. Best moments: A man who’s fretting because he can’t keep up with the group of dancers who know every choreographed step to a Beyoncé song “that hasn’t even been released yet,” and a recent bride who’s embarrassed that she gave her guests Cheese Nips and a mini bottle of water as parting gifts, when her gay friends handed out tickets to Italy and $40K. READ MORE

MONDAY KICKSTARTER: FRENCH PRESIDENT SIGNS MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL INTO LAW

Plus: Another porn star dies too young, lots of homophobia out of Texas and more in the weekend's LGBT headlines.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 9:39AM | No Comments

France's president signed the country's marriage-equality bill into law. Click image for the story.

I trolled the web for LGBT headlines all weekend so you wouldn’t have to. READ MORE

WEEKEND ROUNDUP: JOHN WIND’S ‘THE MAKING OF A MODERN MAN’ OPENS

Plus: The Mazzoni Center and Delaware Valley Legacy Fund honor LGBTQ leaders at high-profile galas and more!

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/17/2013 at 2:17PM | No Comments

G Philly’s guide to what’s happening in LGBTQ Philly this weekend.

(L-R) This weekend, John Wind’s “Making of a Modern Man” opens at James Oliver Gallery, Marla J. Gold will be honored by the Mazzoni Center and U.S. figure skating champ Johnny Weir will pick up an award from the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund. All that and more from the weekend below. READ MORE