Celebrity News
Tom Daley receives OBE at Windsor Castle
Olympic gold medalist honored for diving, LGBTQ rights
British Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley was honored at Windsor Castle Tuesday, as Prince Charles, standing in for Queen Elizabeth, bestowed an Officer of the Order of the British EmpireĀ (OBE) on the 28 year-old champion diver.
In the citation Daley was lauded for his services to British diving, as well as in recognition of his charity work and his global advocacy ofĀ LGBTQ rights.
Daley was accompanied to the ceremony by his 48-year-old American husband, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.
As an Olympian diver Daley first represented Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as a young teenager of 14. A participant and a long time presence on the British diving team, Daley won his first gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the men’s synchronized 10m platform event.
In his speech accepting the 2021 Attitude Magazine Foundationās Virgin Atlantic Attitude Sport Award, Daley took aim at 10 countries that have death penalties for people who are LGBTQ.
Daley told the audience at the Roundhouse Theatre in London that the Olympic Games should ban those nations.
āThese past Olympic Games there were more out LGBT athletes than at any of the previous Olympics combined, which is a great step forward,āĀ Daley said. āYet there are still 10 countries that punish being gay with death that were still allowed to compete at the Olympic Games.ā
The Olympian champion diver went on to tell those in the audience at the Jaguar Motorcars co-sponsored event he was going to make it his mission to effect change.
āI want to make it my mission before the Paris Olympics in 2024 to make it so that the countries that criminalize and make it punishable by death for LGBT people are not allowed to compete at the Olympic Games,ā Daley said.
He then pointed out that those same countries shouldnāt be able to host Olympic games either- then he called out the homophobic atmosphere in Qatar;
āThe World Cup in Qatar had extreme rules against LGBT people and women and I think it should not be allowed for a sporting event to host in a country that criminalizes against basic human rights,ā he said.
He and his husband are parents to son Robbie, who they welcomed via a surrogate in 2018 and the couple resides in London.
Congratulations to everyone who received Honors today at Windsor Castle! š š„š Another medal for Daley! Gold medal-winning and four-time Olympian diver @TomDaley1994 was presented with an OBE for services to Diving and support for LGBTQ+ rights. pic.twitter.com/uN3eIPfLC7
ā The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) July 12, 2022
ĀĀĀĀĀĀView this post on InstagramĀĀĀĀĀĀĀĀĀĀĀĀ
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sallyā¦,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pairās son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against Californiaās Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: āThe entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend ā his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in ā including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land ā and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele ā may they rest in power.āĀ
Reinerās frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reinerās “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: āChristopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.ā
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: āWe have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. Weāre all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.ā
Brazil
Black transgender singer from Brazil wins three Latin Grammy Awards
Liniker performed at Las Vegas ceremony
A Black transgender singer and songwriter from Brazil on Nov. 13 won three Latin Grammy Awards.
Liniker, who is from Araraquara, a city in SĆ£o Paulo State, won for Best Portuguese Language Song for her song āVeludo Marrom,ā Best Portuguese-Language Urban Performance for her song āCajuā from her sophomore album of the same title, and Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album for āCaju.ā
She accepted the awards during the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony that took place in Las Vegas. Liniker also performed.
āI’ve been writing since I was 16. And writing, and poetry, have been my greatest form of existence. It’s where I find myself; where I celebrate so many things I experience,ā said Liniker as she accepted her first Latin Grammy on Nov. 13. āAnd being a composer … Being a trans composer in Brazil ā a country that kills us ā is extremely difficult.”
Liniker in 2022 became the first openly trans woman to win a Latin Grammy.
Celebrity News
Jonathan Bailey is Peopleās first openly gay āSexiest Man Aliveā
āItās a huge honor. And itās completely absurd.ā
Actor Jonathan Bailey made history Monday after he was named People magazineās first openly gay āSexiest Man Alive.ā
Bailey is known for his starring role in āWicked,ā as well as well-received turns in āBridgertonā and āFellow Travelers,ā for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He returns to the big screen on Nov. 21 in the āWicked: For Goodā sequel.
Bailey announced the news on the Nov. 3 āTonight Showā with Jimmy Fallon.
“It’s the honor of a lifetime,ā Bailey, 37, said. āI want to say, Jimmy, thank you so much for turning it down so that I could be here.ā
Bailey told People, “Itās a huge honor. Obviously Iām incredibly flattered. And itās completely absurd. Itās been a secret, so Iām quite excited for some friends and family to find out.ā
People launched its popular āSexiest Man Aliveā issue in 1985 with inaugural winner Mel Gibson. Last yearās winner was actor John Krasinski.
Bailey came out publicly in 2018 and founded a nonprofit, Shameless Fund, which raises money for LGBTQ organizations and issues.
