GR8ERDAYS: Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country Music who was always a reliable ally for LGBTQ+ people, died Tuesday morning at a hospital in Nashville. She was 80. Dolly’s shocking death was announced by her nephew, Brian. There will be a small, private memorial for now, with any other plans to be announced later.
It appears Dolly’s health issues were “kidney and autoimmune-related.” She had been hospitalized for several days prior to dying.
I think most of my readers grew up in a world with Dolly Parton, who was always seen as an amazing and effortlessly popular songwriter; a quintessentially American wit; a self-deprecating showgirl who never minded being the go-to reference when it came to big boobs, big hair and lotsa makeup; and even a remarkably effective comic actress from time to time, iconically so in 1980’s 9 to 5.
It’s hard — if not impossible — to think of another entertainer as universally beloved who was functioning at her level. She will be missed.
PINK NEWS: Popular Arab-American gay porn star Christian Styles has died at 29. No cause of death was offered, but it was said to be totally unexpected.
W MAGAZINE: Harry Styles, returning from a break, covers W’s “Fashion Issue.” He tells inquisitor Julio Torres:
“The fans have always been so emotionally generous toward me. I feel it now more than ever after taking a break from the road. When you’re around something all the time, it numbs you to it — like eating your favorite food all the time. The break recontextualized it. Black is most shocking on white.”
Also, he offers many, many shirtless pics.
NEW YORK TIMES: SCOTUS has sided with Trump against mail-in ballots … for now. Conservatives can never, ever win if more and more people (legally) vote. Pssst: It has to do with this.
SCREENING: There is an August 31, 7 p.m., screening of the doc Uncle Roy in Chicago at Open Space Arts/Queer Expression Film Fest. The film is all about physique photographer Roy Blakey who was also the world’s leading collector of ice-skating memorabilia.
THE SOHO PROJECT SPACE: Now through August 30, check out Concrete Desires: Images of New York City Men if you’re in New York City, men! It’s at the SoHo Project Space (127B Prince St., NYC).
EXTRATV: Photos from gay reality star Tyler Duckworth’s funeral.
LGBTQ NATION: Ex-Knick Enes Kanter Freedom showed up at a WNBA game apparently to pick an anti-trans fight. This argument is so tired. Trans women are not in any way remaking the rules or overwriting anyone’s sport or experience. They make up such a tiny fraction of all players on all levels. Total bull.
STR8UPGAYPORN: Palm Beach County Clerk Michael Allen Caruso was arrested for sexually abusing an underage male family member. One of the alleged incidents was at Thanksgiving (a shame we can’t use this against those dumb anti-DSA Thanksgiving quotes) and another … on a family cruise. Gov. DeSantis removed him from office, but Caruso was an extremely close ally. In fact, DeSantis referred to him as “my representative” in the Florida legislature.
YOUTUBE: Palate cleanser: New song “Love Wins Every Time” by Melba Moore:
NJ.COM: A New Jersey detective is coming forward to talk about what he describes as years of anti-gay harassment on the job inside the state’s top law-enforcement body — including forced disclosure of his sexuality. He wants $1.5M for the offenses.
FAME WHORES: A new episode of Fame Whores is upon us:
“Hosts Frederick Woodruff and John Calendo tear into Alan Ritchson, Luigi Mangione and Josh Hawley (they see you, Josh — and they know exactly what you are—gag!). They also dig into Woodruff’s new shocker of a novel, I Love You Jeffrey Dahmer, and take a detour down memory lane to the BVD models in the old Sears Roebuck catalog and the crazily illustrated Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogs that everyone’s moms used to get in the mail.”