GLAAD Blog

Food Network Host Anne Burrell Confirms She is in a Same-Sex Relationship

mattkane — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:52:26 +0000

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Food Network host Anne Burrell confirmed that she’s in a committed relationship with a woman, through a statement from her rep to the New York Post’s Page Six this week.

Burrell was the topic of conversation on The Derek and Romaine Show, when guest and fellow culinary expert Ted Allen (formerly of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) told the hosts that he knew she seeing a woman. Burrell’s rep then told Page Six that she “doesn’t feel she was outed,” and that she “has made no secret of her relationship. Her significant other is a very private woman. They have been together for a couple of years and spend a lot of time together. It is no secret in the culinary world.”

Burrell is the host of The Food Network’s Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America. She has also served as a sous chef for Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, and made appearances on shows like The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Next Iron Chef, and Chopped All-Stars Tournament.

The GLAAD Wrap: Partners Preview, Molly is a Marshall, and Jillian is a New Mom

mattkane — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:46:13 +0000

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Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.

1) CBS just released trailers for it's new scripted series and among them is the preview of their new sitcom Partners. David Kohan and Max Mutchnick of Will & Grace tell the story of childhood friends and business partners Joe and Louis, costarring Ugly Betty's Michael Urie. Louis is gay and dating Wyatt while Joe is straight and dating Ali, but the announcement of an engagement puts their friendship to the test. Watch the trailer below.

2) Fitness guru and former Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels and her partner, Heidi Rhoades, became new moms to not one, but two bundles of joy this month. Rhoades delivered their healthy baby boy, Phoenix, just weeks before the couple celebrated the adoption of their two-year-old daughter, Lukensia, from Haiti. On Wednesday Michaels tweeted, “I’m really happy to share that my daughter is finally home & my son was born on 5/3.”

3) The second season of American Horror Story will kick off next fall, but creator Ryan Murphy has already started dropping tidbits of information on what fans can expect from the brand new single-season story. Actress Jessica Lange will return in a new role as the manager of an insane asylum in the 1960s, which will apparently also include a character institutionalized for being a lesbian among its inmates. You can read more about Murphy’s plans for Horror Story, as well as Glee and The New Normal, in a new interview with Vulture.com.

4) On Wednesday, Gossip dropped the video for their single, “Move in The Right Direction,” which accompanies the release of their fifth studio album, A Joyful Noise. “Direction” is a lively, catchy tune with a positive and empowering message. Check out the fun, 90’s-inspired video below!

5) In honor of Northstar’s wedding in next month’s Astonishing X-Men, Marvel is releasing several variant covers for issue #51 to celebrate the big event, including the above image from celebrated comic cover artist Marko Djurdjevic. Additionally, the company is releasing a “Make your own wedding album” wraparound cover that includes images of various famous Marvel weddings and space for your own wedding photo to go right above Northstar and Kyle’s.

6) Actress and 1980’s teen icon Molly Ringwald has been announced as the Grand Marshal of this year’s LA PRIDE Parade on Sunday, June 10. Ringwald currently stars on ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Anne Juergens, who will be part of an upcoming lesbian storyline with a new character named Willowdine. “They’ve dealt with gay characters, and they’ve dealt with gay characters kissing -- they just haven’t dealt with ‘Molly Ringwald being a lesbian,’ ” she said in a recent interview with OUT Magazine. “Seeing someone that they’ve grown up with, that they’ve identified with for so long -- it’s a great way to break down that us-versus-them barrier a little more.” Ringwald, a longtime ally of the LGBT community, has filmed PSA’s against California’s Proposition 8 and includes the story of a 6-year-old transgender boy in her upcoming anthology When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories.

7) “Tomato Trouble” is the first story in the animated series Geoff and his Two Dads, an upcoming interactive children’s book app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The story follows Geoff and his best friend as they accidentally cause trouble for a neighbor. Luckily, Geoff’s dads are there to save the day. Wompi Studios need funding help to finish and publish the Geoff and his Two Dads series and they hope to then be able to continue developing book apps with inclusive stories. Visit the Geoff and his Two Dads Kickstarter page to learn more and watch the trailer below.

What to Watch: This Weekend, May 25-27

megantownsend — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:07:46 +0000

What to Watch on TV

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This weekend catch new episodes of Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids and Fashion Police; plus showings of Death at a Funeral and the GLAAD Media Award winning film Beginners. The Kids Are All Right and selected episodes of The Wire are available through Diversity On Demand.

What to Watch: Friday, May 25

9:00pm: Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids, TLC (30 mins) NEW

Tension rises as two sisters plan weddings 30 days apart; an innocent bride is shocked by her frank bridesmaids.

9:30pm: Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids, TLC (30 mins) NEW

One bride-to-be argues with her sister over how revealing a bridesmaid's dress is allowed to be, while another bride seeks approval from her entire family before choosing a dress.

10:00pm: Fashion Police, E! (1 hr) NEW

Celeb gossip queen Joan Rivers joins forces with fashion icons Kelly Osbourne and out stylist George Kotsiopoulos as they dish out some well-deserved fashion advice.

What to Watch: Saturday, May 26

10:00pm: Beginners, Cinemax (2 hrs) REPEAT

The GLAAD Media Award recipient film costars Ewan McGregor as a man whose father (Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet following the loss of his wife, and displays a new zest for life even after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Watch the trailer below.

What to Watch: Sunday, May 27

6:00pm: Death at a Funeral, FX (2 hrs) REPEAT

At the height of family chaos at a funeral, a mysterious man arrives, claiming to be the dead man's lover, and threatens the family with blackmail. Check out the trailer below.

Start celebrating Pride Month early with Diversity on Demand! Tonight watch The Kids Are All Right starring GLAAD Vanguard Award Winner Josh Hutcherson as the son of a lesbian couple who welcomes their son and daughter’s biological father into their lives with unexpected resultsplus selected episodes of The Wire using the On Demand menu. Viewers can discover more LGBT inclusive programming by checking facebook.com/DiversityOnDemand for a full listing of shows and movies offered by cable providers.

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About TV Gayed
Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, see www.glaad.org, www.facebook.com/glaad and www.twitter.com/glaad.

Good Journalism: CNN's Baldwin Puts Perkins' Anti-gay Views in Context

aaronmcquade — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:02:08 +0000

News

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Thursday afternoon, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin gave an almost textbook example of how to tell a complete story when dealing with an anti-gay activist. Joining Baldwin was Tony Perkins, there to speak about his 3PM press conference opposing President Obama’s support for marriage equality.

Perkins is certainly one of the loudest anti-gay activists in the country, and his voice was absolutely relevant to today’s discussion, surrounding his press conference. But he always needs to be put into context, since in front of mainstream audiences he plays a completely different character than the one he plays in front of supporters.

In order to tell the full story when interviewing Perkins, it needs to be made clear to the audience that this is someone who believes gay people “have an emptiness within them” and are trying to “recruit (children) into that lifestyle” through support campaigns like It Gets Better.

GLAAD President Herndon Graddick wrote an op-ed in the Huffington Post earlier this month focusing on Wolf Blitzer’s failure to do this, and it appears CNN did its homework this time.

“Tony Perkins isn’t merely someone who opposes marriage equality, this is someone who opposes gay people period, and Brooke Baldwin did a good job of making that clear,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “Tony Perkins cannot be used to represent those who may not yet be there on marriage but support LGBT people in other areas. Baldwin used her questions to put his views into context, and told her audience a complete story.”

Here are a few of the key questions, along with Perkins' answers.

Baldwin asked Perkins if he had ever been to the home of a married same-sex couple. He had not.
She asked how he would explain to a married gay couple that they should not have the protections of marriage. He did not answer.
Baldwin asked Perkins why gay people bother him so much. He said they don’t … but he did so very uncomfortably, and it was evident he was not telling the whole truth.
When he implied that his was the majority position, she corrected him, citing the latest polls showing only 39% of Americans believing marriage equality should be illegal, opposed to 53% who say it should be legal.
And when he told her it was a policy issue, she corrected him, and told him it was a human issue.

Of course, the interview wasn’t perfect – and this is one thing that we’d like to see every journalist get right.

Perkins, as he always does, gave his line about “social science” showing “kids do best with a mother and a father.” This is absolute garbage. The studies he is citing compared kids raised by a mother and a father to kids from single parent homes. Every single mainstream study that has ever been conducted, comparing kids raised by two gay parents to kids raised by two straight parents, has found absolutely no difference.

Here is what a few of the nation’s leading health and child welfare organizations have to say: (feel free to skip ahead, unless you’re a journalist.)

The American Academy of Pediatrics says: "[S]cientific literature demonstrates" that same-sex couple children "fare as well."

The American Psychiatric Association says: "Research indicates that optimal development for children is based not on the sexual orientation of the parents."

The American Psychological Association says: "There is no scientific basis for concluding that lesbian mothers or gay fathers are unfit parents on the basis of their sexual orientation."

The American Psychoanalytic Association says: "Gay and lesbian individuals and couples are capable of meeting the best interest of the child."

The Child Welfare League of America says: "Any attempt to preclude or prevent gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals or couples from parenting, based solely on their sexual orientation, is not in the best interest of children."

And here are just a few of the studies that back that up:

“Gay & Lesbian Parenting” (PDF - a review of the research literature by the American Psychological Association.)

“Meta-Analysis of Developmental Outcomes for Children of Same-Sex and Heterosexual Parents” (2008 metastudy from Michigan State University)

“Pychosocial Adjustment Among Children Conceived Via Donor Insemination by Lesbian and Heterosexual Mothers” (1998 research from the University of Virgina)

“Children’s Gender Identity in Lesbian and Heterosexual Two-Parent Families” (2009 research from the University of Amsterdam and New York State Psychiatric Institute)

“Nontraditional Families and Childhood Progress Through School” (2010 research by Stanford University)

“Parent-Child Interaction Styles Between Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Adopted Children” (2007 study from Florida State University)

“U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Psychological Adjustment of 17-Year-Old Adolescents” (2010 study from the University of California-San Francisco, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Amsterdam)

We need for journalists like Baldwin to be aware of this, so viewers will know that anti-gay activists like Perkins aren’t telling the whole truth.

But aside from this, Baldwin did the best job we’ve seen from anyone at CNN since the Obama announcement of showing her audience exactly who Tony Perkins is, exactly who he speaks for, and most importantly, that he doesn’t speak for them.

Watch the video here:

Thank you @brookebcnn and @cnnnewsroom for correctly dealing with anti-gay activist Tony Perkins glaad.org/blog/cnns-bald… #glaadcap #lgbt

— Herndon Graddick (@hgraddick) May 24, 2012

Faithful Voices Oppose and Discredit North Carolina 'Electric Fence' Pastor's Harmful Words

rossmurray — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:56:31 +0000

Religion & Faith

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Earlier this week, a video featuring Providence Road Baptist Church Pastor Charles Worley went viral much to the chagrin of LGBT and affirming faith leaders.

Pastor Worley, in his Mother’s Day sermon, advocated for the imprisonment of all LGBT people behind an electric fence, telling parishioners:

"I figured a way out, a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers, but I couldn't get it past the Congress. Build a great big, large fence – 50 or a 100 miles long – and put all the lesbians in there. Fly over and drop some food. Do the same thing with the queers and the homosexuals, and have that fence electrified so they can't get out. Feed them. And you know in a few years, they'll die out. You know why? They can't reproduce."

Rev. Worley has no visible support from those outside of his congregation. His sermon elicited strong words of condemnation from neighboring pastors. “I am angry and sick at heart over Pastor Worley's comments,” the Reverend Dennis Teall-Fleming, of Open Hearts Gathering in Gastonia, NC told CNN’s Belief Blog. “Nothing he says has anything to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Preaching and living the Gospel means loving all people, even those you might be opposed to or disagree with. Pastor Worley fails to preach or live anything close to the Gospel in this video.”

“There is no way that such rhetoric can be justified as preaching against one's personal understanding of sin. His words were just downright mean and nasty, to saying nothing of his concept as being illegal and against every freedom we, as all citizens, should enjoy,” commented Gary West, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Statesville, NC. “If this is what it means to be a Christian, then I don't want to be one. Thank God, it's not what it means.” Other pastors are sending opinion pieces and letters to the editor at the Charlotte Observer.

There has been a recent spate of comments from anti-gay religious leaders that have included calls of violence against LGBT people. During the debate over Amendment 1 in North Carolina, another pastor in North Carolina advocated fathers to punch their effeminate sons. In a separate incident a Mississippi lawmaker quoted a Leviticus passage in calling for the death of LGBT people as a part of his opposition to President Obama’s support for marriage equality.

“As a committed, evangelical Christian from a Southern Baptist background living in North Carolina, I am sorely disappointed in some of my fellow Christians and fellow North Carolinians for words and actions that do not represent the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ,” said Justin Lee, Executive Director of the Gay Christian Network. “We Christians have disagreed and continue to disagree on topics like marriage for same-sex couples, but we surely can agree on one thing: that Jesus was a friend to all, most especially the "sinners" and outcasts of his day, and he never would advocate the kind of hateful, hurtful language we've heard from some who claim to speak in his name.”

"There are many ways that we see the interpretations of scripture expressed across denominations and within them. The members of [the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists] believe strongly that scripture supports the full inclusion of lgbtq people in the life of the church, and in particular the Baptist tradition.,” said Robin Lunn, Executive Director of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. “We respect any congregation's freedom to live their faith as they feel called. What we do not condone is the use of the pulpit to insight harm of any kind against any group of people, particularly the lgbtq community."

Others have been moved to action. There are plans for a peaceful protest outside of Providence Road Baptist Church on Sunday being planned by Catawba Valley Citizens Against Hate.

The Rev. Mark Sandlin, blogger at The God Article, has published a post that not only responds to Rev. Worley’s harmful words, but also comes up with a non-violent response. He has suggested that people make an donation to an LGBT organization in honor of Rev. Worley.

“Not only will it be a wonderful opposing response to Pastor Worley, but it does several other wickedly beautiful things,” Rev. Sandlin writes. “One, it helps fund organizations who are actively working against this kind of exclusion and bullying. Two, it puts Pastor Worley on their mailing lists!!! And, three, it can really show Pastor Worley and others what creative, non-violent resistance looks like – and that's biblical.”

Rev. Sandlin offers a list of LGBT-serving organizations, and has been updating the list to include suggestions from his readers.

In full disclosure: So far, GLAAD has received about 20 donations in honor of Rev. Worley through The God Article suggestion. We will be sending him a letter to let him know that his words have inspired people to support the fight against harmful words and images like the ones in his sermon.

What to Watch: Thursday, May 24

megantownsend — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:36:39 +0000

What to Watch on TV

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Tonight catch a showing of the hour long behind the scenes special Perez Hilton All Access: Lady Gaga on the CW; and Adam Lambert and Beth Ditto on Watch What Happens Live.

What to Watch: Thursday, May 24

8:00pm: Perez Hilton All Access: Lady Gaga, CW (1 hr) REPEAT

Perez Hilton gives audiences an unprecedented look into the life of pop phenomenon Lady Gaga. The hour long special features interview clips, touching and funny behind the scenes moments and clips of her latest tour. Watch a sneak peek below.

11:00PM: Watch What Happens Live, Bravo (1 hr) NEW

Andy chats with Adam Lambert and Beth Ditto of Gossip on tonight's new episode.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Nate Berkus Show, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew(ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC features gay character Will as a series regular and The Bold and the Beautiful on CBS has a developing lesbian couple storyline (check local listings for time).

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About TV Gayed
Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!

Recent Polls Show Increase in Support for Marriage Equality

alexandrabolles — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:27:21 +0000

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Yesterday, NBC/Wall Street Journal released a poll showing that the majority of Americans say President Obama’s support for marriage equality will not affect their vote. The poll also matches one from ABC News/Washington Post released today. In finding that a majority of Americans believe marriage should be legal for all couples in their states.

NBC reports that 62% of those polled “say the president’s support for gay marriage doesn’t make a difference in their vote,” including three quarters of independents and moderates, 81% of African Americans, and 65% of residents in the Midwest. NBC/WSJ also found that “54% of Americans would support a state law legalizing same-sex marriage,” compared to just 40% who said they would oppose it.

ABC/WaPo highlights the significance of this show of support, saying that 39% of Americans “strongly” supporting legalized same-sex marriage and 32% are strongly opposed. This is the first time in their poll that strong support has outnumbered strong opposition. Their poll also found that support from the African-American community has reached an all-time high, rising from 41% last year to now 59%. ABC/WaPo also reports that “71% Americans now say they have a friend, family member or acquaintance who’s gay, up from 59% in 1998.” Support for marriage equality is especially high among adults under age 30, with more than two thirds of younger people in favor.

The results come after weeks of speculation that President Obama’s announcement personally supporting marriage equality could hurt the public’s perception of him. The numbers from NBC and ABC, representing a diverse range of Americans, illustrate the consistently growing trend of support in recent years. The show of support for the African-American community, which is higher than that of the general population, defies the notion that African Americans are disproportionately opposed to same-sex marriage. This is echoed by the recent statement from the NAACP recognizing and opposing discrimination against people in the LGBT community. Combined with support from the majority of adults under 30 and an increase in the number of those who have gay friends and family, these polls demonstrate that support for legal protection of gay rights is here to stay and will continue to grow across the nation.

GLAAD is delighted by the findings of ABC, NBC, WSJ and Washington Post. We hope the majority of Americans who support marriage equality will make their voices heard and that major news outlets will give them the space to do so. GLAAD hopes that these recent polls will be used to accurately inform audiences and enhance responsible journalism.

New York Times Profiles Gay Actor Jim Parsons

mattkane — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:39:49 +0000

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In a new profile in The New York Times, Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons discusses his role in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart and his current Broadway run on Harvey. Though Parsons hasn't previously commented on his personal life, the paper also notes that Kramer’s play resonated with the actor on a personal level because Parsons is gay and in a ten year relationship.

The Normal Heart focused on the early days of the AIDS crisis, in which Parson portrayed a young activist named Tommy Boatwright who works to spur the medical and political establishment into action. This summer Parsons will take on the more iconic role of Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, wherein he communicates with a six-foot, invisible rabbit. He will also return to his Emmy winning role as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory when the CBS sitcom retruns for its sixth season on CBS next year.

Adam Lambert Claims the Number One Spot on Billboard 200 chart

mattkane — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:26:42 +0000

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Adam Lambert

Pop star Adam Lambert made history this week when he became the first openly gay man to claim the number one spot on the US Billboard 200 chart with his new album TRESPASSING.

Artists like Elton John and Ricky Martin would certainly rank as some of the best selling artists of all-time, but neither managed to crack the number one position after publicly coming out as gay. Lambert himself came out following his appearance on the 8th season of American Idol, where he took runner-up. Despite that second place finish at the time, Lambert quickly amassed a hugely loyal fanbase, which helped propel the sales of his latest release.

TRESPASSING, which was released on RCA Records/19 Recordings on May 15, was executive produced by Lambert and has been met with incredible critical reviews. Rolling Stone declares that Trespassing is “the great pop album everybody was hoping Adam Lambert would make” while New York Daily News exclaims, “it’s the sound of liberation achieved.” People Magazine raves that “Lambert stakes claim for the divos on his glamtastic second set” and USA Today proclaims that it is “the album that fans have been wanting from him.”

In addition to making great music, Adam continues to be a strong voice for equality. He was nominated for Outstanding Music Artist at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Huge congrats to Adam Lambert on his accomplishment! Check out the video for his latest single below.

What to Watch: Wednesday, May 23

megantownsend — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:19:06 +0000

What to Watch on TV

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Tonight catch the season finales of Modern Family, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 and Revenge; Around the World in 80 Plates visits Spain; plus a new episode of White Heat.

What to Watch: Wednesday, May 23

9:00pm: Modern Family, ABC (30 mins) SEASON FINALE

Cam and Mitchell enlist Gloria's help to meet a pregnant woman about a possible adoption; Alex attends her first prom; and Haley shocks the entire family when she announces her plans for the future.

9:30pm: Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23, ABC (30 mins) SEASON FINALE

June is desperate to keep up with Chloe and her party girl lifestyle, but it's no easy task when Chloe actually has a Japanese webcomic based on her "It Girl" lifestyle. Meanwhile, James loses his cool when he finds out that he doesn't have the biggest dressing room of the Dancing with the Stars cast.

10:00pm: White Heat, BBC America (1 hr) NEW

A fourth flatmate arrives and the group look back to 1973 when there city was under a bombing campaign. Charlotte and Jack's relationship comes to a head; Alan and Lily's relationship moves a step forward; and Orla faces a family crisis.

10:00pm: Revenge, ABC (1 hr) SEASON FINALE

Emily continues her quest for revenge and the Graysons continue to self-destruct. An explosive event leaves everything in question. Watch a sneak peek below.

10:00pm: Around the World in 80 Plates, Bravo (1 hr) NEW

The chefs head to Spain and work with local fishermen on the docks in Barcelona. Acclaimed chef Jose Andres joins the locals to sample the contestants Mediterranean fare.

This morning and afternoon, check your local listings for information about Ellen, The Nate Berkus Show, The Talk (CBS) and The Chew(ABC). Days of Our Lives on NBC (check local listings for time) features gay character Will as a series regular; keep an eye out for developments between Will and recurring gay characters Sonny and Neil.

_____________________________

About TV Gayed
Grab the remote or set your DVR! GLAAD brings you the most up-to-date listing of LGBT content on television every weekday. Check GLAAD Blog for daily TV Gayed posts!