billy porter
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Mr. America: Billy Porter Covers Essence's July-August Issue [Corrected]
It’s unfortunate that in the midst of celebrating its 50th anniversary, Essence has also been implicated in a rising controversy as past and current Black female staffers have anonymously launched a campaign to #TakeBackEssence. But as we also commemorate 50 years of Pride and the closing of Pride Month, we can simultaneously celebrate another milestone…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: A Look at the Legendary World of Ballroom With Makeup Artist La Sonya Gunter & Friends
La Sonya Gunter didn’t initially set out to be a makeup artist. In fact, the makeup department lead on HBO Max’s Legendary discovered her craft while still a singer-songwriter, transfixed by the transformative nature of a well-made-up face. Honing her talents while working with M.A.C. Cosmetics, Gunter found a bridge between her two passions, becoming…
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Missing the Met Gala This Year? Make It Your Own—From the Comfort of Home!
Of the many repercussions resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19, the cancellation of the 2020 Met Gala on May 4 is seemingly among the most superfluous, though New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art would surely disagree, as the event is its most high-profile annual fundraiser. Of course, it goes without saying that the crisis…
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First Look: Queer Harlem Renaissance Spotlights Claude McKay and the Unsung LGBTQ Community in Congo Caberet
The Harlem Renaissance was an explosion of black excellence and was eventually considered to be the “black cultural mecca.” But let the history books—and low key us too—falsely tell it, that excellence was mostly heterosexual. But one new project wants to correct the narrative and pushback against the erasure of black LGBTQ artists who not…
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The Category Is 'Canceled': Met Gala Postponed 'Indefinitely' Due to New Coronavirus Guidelines
Anna Wintour, creative director of Condé Nast, and high priest of the power bob, announced on Monday that the Met Gala would be postponed indefinitely. Typically held in May, the glitzy annual gathering of A-listers had to be shut down in order to accommodate new Centers for Disease Control guidelines prohibiting gatherings of 50 or…
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#BlackExcellenceWeekend: BET, NAACP Image Awards and ABFF to Pay Tribute to Us in the Same Weekend
Now that the Oscars and most major awards shows are out of the way, the American Black Film Festival and the NAACP are bringing us the recognition we deserve—not by requiring us to ask for a seat at the table, but rather creating our own with the ABFF Honors and the 51st Image Awards taking…
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Stand Up! The Oscars May Not Give Cynthia Erivo Her Flowers (Yet), But We Will
Did you watch the 2020 Academy Awards? No? Was it because the #OscarsSoWhite? I mean, they were (and accordingly, we’re going to have our lightest Oscars slideshow ever today), but in a year that denied both people of color and women their nomination shine (shoutout to Natalie Portman for having the names of this year’s…
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'We Are the Table': I Attended the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon for the First Time and It Was Magic
Sisterhood is unmatched. And for black women, it isn’t just a concept, it is actually lifesaving. The Essence Black Women in Hollywood (BWIH) luncheon is one of the most anticipated events during Oscar week, arguably the most anticipated event for black women, specifically. Guess the hell what? I got to go…as a guest. The honorees…
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In Logo's LGBTQ State of the Union, Billy Porter Delivers the Truth the World Will Never Hear From Trump
Tonight, Donald Trump will face the nation and do what he does best: lie, exaggerate, and self-aggrandize…with the added boost of an almost sure acquittal by his sycophant Republican Senate. It’s pretty much guaranteed to be a shitshow, so if you’re planning to watch, buckle up, Buttercup. But if like me, you haven’t got time…
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Billy Porter Graces Sesame Street with Legendary Academy Award Tuxedo Gown and Pro-Life Petitioners Go Apes**t
Billy Porter went from one of the world’s most famous streets to another. The Broadway superstar will be making an appearance on Sesame Street during its 51st season. And the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winner has taken his famous frock along for the journey. He will be wearing his showstopping 2019 Oscars outfit—a tuxedo gown,…