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Kathy Griffin: ‘Trump is trying to ruin my life’ following photo scandal

the comedian believes she is being attacked because she is a woman

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(Screenshot via YouTube.)

Kathy Griffin broke down into tears during a press conference on Friday morning as she apologized for participating in a controversial photo shoot and slammed the Trump family for attacking her.

Victim rights attorney Lisa Bloom appeared with Griffin to say the backlash Griffin received for the photo shoot has been extreme.

“As a result of the first family bullying her, she has been vilified, getting death threats, fired from multiple jobs and had multiple events canceled,” Bloom says.

The photo shoot, which featured Griffin holding up a bloody replica of Trump’s decapitated head, has gotten her fired from co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve special and lost her an ad campaign deal with Squatty Potty. Five of Griffin’s comedy shows have also been canceled.

“I don’t think I will have a career after this,” Griffin said as she broke down into tears. “I’m going to be honest. He broke me. He broke me. He broke me. And then I was like, this isn’t right. And I apologized because that was the right thing to do and I meant it and then I saw the tide turning and it was a mob pile-on.”

Griffin reiterated her apology from the video she posted to Twitter on Tuesday and says she didn’t mean to offend anyone.

“That apology absolutely stands,” Griffin says. “I feel horrible. I have performed in war zones. The idea that this made people think of that tragedy is horrible. If I could redo the whole thing I’d have a blowup doll and no ketchup.”

She accused Trump of “trying to ruin her life forever” after Trump, his son Trump Jr. and First Lady Melania Trump expressed their outrage of the image on Twitter and to the media.

“The sitting president of the United States and his grown children and the first lady are personally trying to ruin my life forever. Forever. You guys know him — he’s never gonna stop,” Griffin says.

Griffin believes the attacks are “a woman thing” and that she is being used as a distraction from the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s connection with Russia.

“It’s quite clear they’re trying to use me as a distraction and I’m not going to be collateral damage for this fool,” Griffin says. “I’m the easiest target. I’m D-list comedian Kathy Griffin.”

Griffin has received support from fellow comedians Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. Carey told Entertainment Tonight it’s a comedian’s job to break boundaries.

“I think it is the job of a comedian to cross the line at all times, because that line is not real,” Carrey says. “If you step out into that spotlight and you’re doing the crazy things that [Trump] is doing, we’re the last line of defense. And really, comedians are the last voice of truth in this whole thing.”

Foxx says he acknowledges Griffin went too far but still stands by her.

“I still love Kathy Griffin,” Foxx told Entertainment Tonight. “She went past the line, she’ll pay for it in the way she pays for it, and we’ll go out and we’ll laugh with her again. Don’t kill the comedian. There’s a lot of people out here doing really bad things and every time a comedian says anything, says something about peanuts, [people say], ‘You’re peanut-shaming!’ [A comedian] says something about dolphins [people say], ‘Oh my god, you’re a dolphin-shamer.’ We’re the comics, we’re entertainers, we don’t mean any harm.”

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Music & Concerts

Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’

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Singer Tom Goss is back. (Photo by Dusti Cunningham)

Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co. 

Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.

For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.

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Calendar

Calendar: May 2-8

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, May 2

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at P.F. Chang’s. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Saturday, May 3

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc

Sunday, May 4

“The Chateau Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Chicatana. Enjoy fabulous Mexican food and cocktails while being entertained by a rotating cast of the DMV’s best drag performers. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

“The Bubble: Queer Brooklyn Comics in DC” will be at 5 p.m. at As You Are. Queer comedians Charlie Flynn, Evan Lazarus and Keara Sullivan are coming down from NYC for a night of fun as they split an hour of standup comedy. For more details, visit Eventbrite

Monday, May 5

“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Tuesday, May 6

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected]

Wednesday, May 7

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older queer women can meet and socialize with one another. We will have discussion, activities, and a chance for you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, email [email protected]

Thursday, May 8

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245. 

Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.

South Asian Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The peer support group is an outlet for South Asian-identified LGBTQ individuals to come and talk about anything affecting them. It’s a secure, judgment-free environment to discuss relationships, sexuality, health, well-being, identity, culture, religion, or anything that is on your mind. For more details, email [email protected]

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Sports

English soccer bans transgender women from women’s teams

British Supreme Court last month ruled legal definition of woman limited to ‘biological women’

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(Photo by Kirill_M/Bigstock)

The organization that governs English soccer on Thursday announced it will no longer allow transgender women to play on women’s teams.

The British Supreme Court on April 16 ruled the legal definition of a woman is limited to “biological women” and does not include trans women. The Football Association’s announcement, which cites the ruling, notes its new policy will take effect on June 1.

“As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and FIFA,” said the Football Association in a statement that announced the policy change. “Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice.”

“This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football then we would review it and change it if necessary,” added the Football Association.

The Football Association also acknowledged the new policy “will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify.”

“We are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game,” it said.

The Football Association told the BBC there were “fewer than 30 transgender women registered among millions of amateur players” and there are “no registered transgender women in the professional game” in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The Scottish Football Association, which governs soccer in Scotland, is expected to also ban trans women from women’s teams.

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