After weeks of speculation — and denials — Paul Ryan” retires,” but might mean he’s leaving to run against Trump in 2020? And that’s just the top story today.
Ryan’s Hope?
Earlier today, a mouthpiece for House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed the rumors that have been swirling around Congress for the last seveal weeks. The spokesperson broke the news by saying, “This morning Speaker Ryan shared with his colleagues that this will be his last year as a member of the House.” What followed was equally predictable: “After nearly 20 years in the House,” we were told, “the Speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father.”
This would be good news, if it meant that Ryan was taking his anti-LGBT politics and budgets that disenfranchise anyone who’s not already wealthy home with him. But . . . not so fast. There are many in the political sphere who believe this is just another canny move on Ryan’s part to wait for the right time to execute another power grab.
With his Kennedy-esque good looks and his megawatt smile, many speculate that he’s seeking to distance himself from the carnival of crazy known as the Trump administration. And with that dung scraped clean, he can position himself to run against 45 as the “common-sense conservative alternative.”
Still, his departure means that for at least a few years, the LGBT community will be spared his happy-go-lucky pandering to the right.
More Hot StoriesDuring his time in office, Ryan prevented a vote on the Equality Act, which would have amended existing civil rights laws to create discrimination protections at the federal level for people based on sexual orientation or gender identity — a concept he had once personally endorsed.
He also spearheaded a 2016 GOP initiative to defeat a bill amendment that would have prevented taxpayer dollars being used to pay contractors who discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity — an amendment which failed to pass by a single vote.
Have we heard the last from Paul Ryan? Don’t count on it.
Now…The Good Paul
It seems Hollywood has discovered gay people.
Brawny Towels model Paul Rudd, sporting enough beard to make any bear jealous, stars in a a new comedy called Ideal Home. Opposite a celebrity chef husband played by Steve Coogan, Rudd and his man navigate the trivails of raising a young boy suddenly thrown into the midst of their decidedly gay household. The trailer (below) seems like it’ll be a hoot, and just the right amuse-bouche for Rudd’s Ant-Man sequel in July. Ideal Home hits sets up housekeeping at cinemas June 21.
Closets Are for Clothes
Admit it: When you see a perfectly coiffed, imaculately attired queen, you wonder: Exactly how long did that take? Where and how do you store all that fabulousness? Logo wants to satisfy your curiosity, and is offering up a new digital show that takes you up close and personal into the homes of the queens who don’t leave the house without everything well in place. And we do mean everything.
The series is called Out of the Closet, and it brings audiences right into the private residences of a host of beloved queens with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their closets — corsets, padding, bangles, beads and bedazzlement included.
Each of the six episodes of the first season will revolve around one of the queens from Drag Race herstory. The pilot episode features Sasha Velour — who gave us the secret to her name the day after winning Season 9. Coming installments will focus on Aja, Alexis Michelle, Kimora Blac, Acid Betty and Manila Luzon.
Have a look at the teaser for the series, which bows April 15 on Logo’s website every Tuesday.
Last modified: February 25, 2019
