Beyoncé has revealed that losing her ‘Uncle Johnny’ to HIV was one of the “most painful experiences” of her life.
The music icon gave an emotional speech alongside husband Jay-Z while the pair accepted the Vanguard Award during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday.
Beyoncé dedicated the award to “Uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever known who helped raise me and my sister.”
She continued: “‘Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived. I’m hopeful that his struggles served to open pathways for other young people to live more freely.”
Noting that “LGBTQI rights are human rights,” the singer and actress then spoke about the support she’s received from her LGBTQ fans.
“Whether it’s our fans or our family, the LGBTQI community has always supported us and lifted us up. And we thank you for that,” she said. “We are here to promote love for every human being, and change starts with supporting the people closest to you. So let’s tell them they are loved, let’s remind them they are beautiful, and parents, let’s love our kids in their truest form.”
Beyoncé again reiterated her commitment to LGBTQ rights at the end of her speech, saying, “To choose who you love is your human right. How you identify and see yourself is your human right, who you make love to and take that ass to Red Lobster is your human right!”
During his speech, Jay-Z paid tribute to his mother, Gloria Carter, who is lesbian. He thanked Carter for teaching him strong values, saying, “I’m following in her footsteps of spreading love and acceptance.”
The United States is now seeing over 200,000 syphilis cases annually, the highest figure since the 1950s.
Imagine the voice of Golden Girls’ Sophia Petrillo saying, “Picture it, United States 1951, I Love Lucy was kicking off its first season, super glue had just been invented, and there were 140,000 syphilis cases reported across the country.”
By 2000, however, decades of public health advocacy and medical advancements, such as the use of antibiotics in early treatment, had cut down cases to just 32,000 per year.
So, what happened? Why are the numbers worse now than they were 24 years ago?
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stirred up a hornet's nest when he made comments accusing the U.S. government of engineering the AIDS outbreak of the 1980s.
During an appearance on the Look Into It with Eddie Bravo podcast in February, the NFL quarterback suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president of the United States, and the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had played a key role in the creating AIDS epidemic, which served as the "blueprint" for the COVID-19 pandemic.
During one shining moment set at the Reagan ranch, Mosaic Theater's world-premiere production of Rhiana Yazzie's Nancy hits its stride, blending Yazzie's pungent satire with director Ken-Matt Martin's often absurdist vision.
The actors in the scene actually hit a treadmill to depict Ronald and Nancy Reagan out riding the range at Rancho del Cielo. Loping along on conveyor belts, side-by-side atop inflatable horses, Michael Kevin Darnall, offering an amusing caricature of the 40th president, and Lynn Hawley, fantastic in the title role, strike a profoundly funny, fitting image of the iconic '80s power couple.
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