Billy Eichner slams ‘straight people’ for film Bros’s dismal box office
Actor and screenwriter Billy Eichner is upset after Bros underperformed in its opening box-office weekend, saying, “Straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up.” In its debut weekend, Bros came in at No. 4, grossing $4.8 million despite opening on 3,350 screens — three spots behind Paramount’s Smile, which also debuted and grossed $22 million.
The film, distributed by Universal, is being touted as the first LGBT romance comedy to receive a major release. “Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros,” tweeted Eichner, who co-wrote and starred in it. “And that’s disappointing but it is what it is.” In August at the MTV Video Music Awards, Eichner encouraged everyone to show up for the film’s opening weekend “to show all the homophobes like Clarence Thomas and all the homophobes on the Supreme Court that we want gay love stories.”
Despite his disappointment about Bros’s debut, Eichner said he is “very proud of this movie.” “Rolling Stone already has BROS on the list of the best comedies of the 21st century. What’s also true is that at one point a theater chain called Universal and said they were pulling the trailer because of the gay content. (Uni convinced them not to). America, f*** yeah,” Eichner added.
“Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS,” he added. “You will have a blast! And it *is* special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often. I love this movie so much. GO BROS!!!” Eichner also praised the film for not only having a homosexual narrative but a cast as well, telling the Hollywood Reporter that “the entire cast should be openly LGBTQ+ actors, including in the straight roles.”
UK Labour MP slams Church or England stance on LGBTQ people
The Church of England must move swiftly to welcome lesbian and gay people and embrace same-sex marriage or face mounting questions in parliament about its role as the established church of the country, a senior UK MP has said. The church was “actively pursuing a campaign of discrimination” against lesbian and gay people that was incompatible with its role as a church for England, said Ben Bradshaw, (pictured), the Labour MP for Exeter and a former secretary of state for culture, media and sport.
He was prompted to speak out after the C of E barred the late archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, an ordained Anglican priest, from officiating at her godfather’s funeral last month because she is in a same-sex marriage. Mpho Tutu van Furth was forced to hold the funeral service in a marquee next to St Michael and All Angels church in Wentnor, Shropshire.
“This was a particularly high-profile, egregious example. But cruelty like that is practised on lesbian and gay people in the church all the time, every day – people you never hear about in the headlines, people whose lives are destroyed – and it can’t go on,” said Bradshaw.
The C of E “enjoys extraordinary and unique privileges in its role in the nation’s life”, he said, citing the 26 seats in the House of Lords reserved for Anglican bishops. Yet it excluded a significant minority of the population, he said. This was “unsustainable”, especially as Anglican churches in Scotland, Wales, the US, Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere conducted or blessed same-sex marriages.
The C of E has been bitterly divided on issues of sexuality for decades. It allows its clergy to be in same-sex relationships as long as they are celibate, but does not allow people of the same sex to be married in church or for clergy to bless civil marriages. After a process of internal discussion, bishops are meeting this autumn to decide on proposals to put before the C of E’s governing body, the general synod, next year.
Scooby-Doo clip confirms Velma is gay
The latest Scooby-Doo animated film, Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo, has confirmed that Velma Dinkley is a member of the LGBTQ community. A clip from the animated film has been shared on Twitter, showing Velma’s attraction to Coco Diablo, the head of the film’s notorious costume crime syndicate. Velma immediately zones in on Coco’s incredible glasses, amazing turtleneck and love of animals.
While the Twitter user who shared the clip claimed that “Lesbian Velma [is] finally canon,” other Scooby-Doo fans have pointed out that the movie doesn’t explicitly rule out that she is bisexual. Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo is the 37th film released as part of the line of animated direct-to-video Scooby-Doo films. The animated film begins with Mystery Inc. tracking down Velma’s crush, Coco Diablo, “the head of the notorious costume crime syndicate that colludes The Black Knight, Space Kook and the Ghost Diver.
With Coco and her kitty in prison, Mystery Inc. thinks that they can finally enjoy a break.” However, the film’s official synopsis reveals that “menacing doppelgänger ghosts of the Scooby crew and favourite classic foes show up in Coolsville to threaten Halloween. Now it’s up to the meddling kids – and their unlikely new partner Coco – to unmask the latest scoundrel and save Halloween! For Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, with trick-or-treating on the line – this time it’s personal!”
75% of Utah residents support marriage equality in new poll
As the US Senate considers legislation to protect same-sex marriage, a new poll shows nearly three-fourths of Utahns support legal same-sex marriage. The new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics survey found 72% of residents agree that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognised by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The poll shows 23% disagree, while 5% don’t know.
“For a state that less than 20 years ago passed laws and a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage, there has been a seismic shift in opinion,” said Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. When same-sex marriage became recognized in Utah in 2014 — a year ahead of the Supreme Court decision — it had support from less than half of Utahns. A January 2014 Deseret News/KSL poll amid the legal battle and contentious public debate over the issue found a majority of Utahns (57%) opposed same-sex marriage.
“Now, it has majority support from nearly every group across the political, demographic and religious spectrum,” Perry said.
The Deseret News/Hinckley poll shows Utahns are aligned with the nation as a whole on the issue. A Gallup poll in May found 71% of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, a new high.
Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, said he’s not surprised to see that a majority of Utahns now support marriage equality. “Utah is a pro-family state, and we recognise that families come in all shapes and sizes. When we see loving, committed couples joining in matrimony, our natural impulse is to support and encourage that love. This gives me great hope for the future,” he said.