Viral Video Of The Day

200K views already for a contestant on America's Got Talent.

(Tipped by JMG reader Mimi)

NEW YORK CITY: Panti Bliss To Perform Five Shows At Irish Arts Center

Via press release:

On the heels of the recent Marriage Equality referendum in Ireland, Irish Arts Center is proud to present Ireland's High Queen, National Treasure, Performance Giant and Accidental Activist Panti in her smash-hit comedy show, High Heels in Low Places. Brought to New York City by Irish production company THISISPOPBABY, High Heels in Low Places runs at Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st St, New York) for five nights from Monday June 8th until Saturday, June 13th with an official opening on Tuesday, June 9th at 7:30 pm. Performances are Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 pm and Friday-Saturday at 8 pm. Tickets are from $15 and can be booked online or by calling 866-811-4111. [Photo credit: Conor Horgan]

High Heels in Low Places is Panti’s riotous stand-up show about life after “Pantigate,” which played to rave reviews and chock-a-block houses across Ireland. Critics called it “Hilarious” (Hotpress) and “a wickedly funny evening” (Irish Independent) with “impeccable one-liners” (The Evening Herald). Charting brushes with infamy, near misses with fame, and adventures in the seedy underbelly, the High Queen of Ireland invites you in to her ultra-padded, hyper-real, stiletto-shaped world, as she swaps stories from the gutter and trades secrets of the stars.

Get your tickets here. I'll be there on opening night.

BRITAIN: National Students Union Passes Motion That White Gay Men Need To Stop Acting Like Black Women

Via Gay Star News:

UK's National Union of Students has passed a policy to stop gay men appropriating black female culture. Delegates at the Women's Conference today, many of them self-identified feminists, have passed plenty of motions. Just one of them was ensuring everyone at the conference understood that some behaviors were damaging. On Twitter, they announced: "Some delegates are requesting that we move to jazz hands rather than clapping as it's triggering anxiety. Please be mindful!" A later motion passed was 503: "Dear White Gay Men: Stop Appropriating Black Women." Put forward by the NUS LGBT Committee, they believe the appropriation of black women by white gay men is prevalent within the LGBTI scene and community.

Also approved was a motion against drag because it's supposedly offensive to trans women.

"To issue a statement condemning the use of crossdressing as a mode of fancy dress. To encourage unions to ban clubs and societies from holding events which permit or encourage (cisgender) members to use cross-dressing as a mode of fancy dress." This [motion] was given an exclusion to queer students who want to use cross-dressing in their everyday lives as a mode of expression and to those who want to cross-play by flipping the gender of a fictional character in fancy dress.

There is lots of mocking on Twitter.

RELATED: The "Dear White Gays" meme, you surely recall, dominated US social media for a few days last summer.

Fran Lebowitz On Drag Queens & Fashion

"The extreme, exaggerated femininity is, for most people, not so great a look. Except for drag queens, because that's what drag queens do. I mean, I always thought it would be much wittier for drag queens to dress in this very drab way. You know, the yoga pants? Well, what if drag queens just really let themselves go, pretending not to try, like most women? But there are no drag queens like that, because drag queens know how to wear clothes. Can you imagine if women tried as hard as drag queens? We'd be a much more attractive culture. I wouldn't have to give out so many yoga pants citations." - Fran Lebowitz, talking fashion with Elle Magazine.

Drag Legend Cashetta Has Died

From the Blue Moon in Rehoboth:

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a very talented and loved member of the Blue Moon family. Scott Weston, aka Cashetta passed away during the night. At this moment we have very few details other than the confirmation of the loss of someone very dear to all of us."

Cashetta's partner Scott Cirlin writes on Facebook:

"It is with incredible sadness and grief that I announce the passing of my closest friend, deepest soul mate and legal domestic partner Cashetta Scott Weston. Scott has touched many people in his life, and will be missed by everyone. Details are still coming in as to what has happened, but the world has lost an incredible person today. It is impossible to describe how it feels to be ripped in half. Please send him your prayers."

(Tipped by JMG readers Mick and David)

Conchita Wurst - You Are Unstoppable

Available today from the coming album.

Matt Baume On Drag Vs Blackface

RuPaul's Drag Race: Dear Mary Cheney

Mary Cheney: Drag Is Like Blackface

"Why is it socially acceptable - as a form of entertainment - for men to put on dresses, make up and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.) - but it is not socially acceptable - as a form of entertainment - for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans? Shouldn’t both be OK or neither?" - Mary Cheney, writing on her Facebook page after seeing an ad for the upcoming season of RuPaul's Drag Race. (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

IRELAND: Drag Star/Activist Panti Bliss Wows Crowd With Dublin TEDx Talk

Andy Towle provides some of the transcript:

"Everyday I am jealous of straight people because that tiny intimate expression of affection has never once been mine...I am jealous of that because gay people do not get to hold hands in public without first considering the risk...We look around to see where are we, who’s around, what kind of place is it…are there bunches of lads outside a pub? ... I’m 45 years old and I have never once casually, comfortably, carelessly held hands with a partner in public... I’m 45 and I’m fed up of putting up so I’m not anymore. I’m 45 years old and I’m not putting up anymore because I don’t have the energy anymore. Putting up is exhausting. I’m 45 years old and I’m not putting up anymore because I don’t have the patience anymore. I was born 6 months before the Stonewall riots and you have had 45 years to work out that despite appearances, I am just as ordinary, just as unremarkable, and just as human as you are. I’m 45 years old and I’m not asking anymore. I am just being…human being."

Watch this.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Panti Bliss honored as Ireland 2014 Person Of The Year. Panti Bliss hosts Irish prime minister at local gay bar. Pet Shop Boys remix Panti Bliss speech into new single. Panti Bliss marches in Queens St. Patrick's Day Parade. Panti Bliss' anti-homophobia speech at Dublin's Abbey Theater goes globally viral.

Eurovision: The Year Of Conchita Wurst

The official Eurovision channel looks back on the win of Conchita Wurst, arguably the venerable contest's most popular winner in decades.

Conchita Wurst To Host Eurovision 2015

Via Pink News:

It has been announced this week that Conchita Wurst will make a return to the contest in Vienna – as a presenter. The singer was confirmed as host for the Green Room segment of the show, interviewing the current acts. She will be joined by an all-female presenting team, with Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler and Arabella Kiesbauer taking up the main hosting roles during the event. The drag star is also expected to reprise her previous winner’s song, Rise Like a Phoenix, during the Grand Final, as is tradition for Eurovision. Kathrin Zechner of broadcaster ORF said: "[Conchita] won the contest with her personality, voice and song for Austria. She did not take the first but the most powerful Austrian step in the fight for self-determination and respect in Europe and the world."

As upset as the hater nations were about Conchita performing her one song, you can expect some real screaming about this hosting gig.

Afternoon View - Sushi's Shoe

Key West's Bourbon Pub is all set for their famed Drag Queen Drop in which local star Sushi is lowered in a giant pump at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

IRELAND: Activist Panti Bliss Honored With Person Of The Year Award

Via Pink News:

Irish drag queen activist Panti Bliss has picked up a Person of the Year award. Drag artist Panti Bliss, played by Rory O’Neill, caused controversy in January this year when she labelled Catholic lobbying group the Iona Institute ‘homophobes’ on an Irish talk show, prompting state broadcaster RTE to award a payout of over €85,000 (£70,000) to the group and associated journalists. After the controversy, a heartwarming speech that Panti gave about the oppression that gay people face went viral online, and was even sampled as part of a Pet Shop Boys track.

About the awards:

Now in its 40th year, the People of the Year Awards are not just the primary awards event in Ireland, they are also among the longest-running. They are widely recognised as one of the highest accolades a person can receive in this country. Based on nominations received from members of the public, the People of the Year Awards give public recognition of the achievement of those who, in their own way, have made such a positive impact on Irish society. The Awards recognise a unique range of people - from unsung heroes who have quietly made a difference and enhanced the lives of others in communities, to the household names who have made a real difference to people’s lives on a national and international level.

If you haven't seen Panti's now legendary speech, watch it here. (Tipped by JMG reader Gerard)

TRAILER: Conchita, Queen Of Austria

A behind the scene Eurovision documentary.

Just Add Coco Peru

Adore Delano - My Address Is Hollywood

NOM: We're Super-Boycotting Starbucks

"The pro-same-sex marriage corporate behemoth Starbucks has taken its ideologically-driven LGBT agenda to a new level with a new ad featuring two reality TV star drag queens. The ad feature Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano, two drag queens from a reality TV show on the LGBT network, OUTtv. Thus Starbucks continues to serve up a healthy dose of ideology added in with the cream and sugar in its cups of coffee. It's as good a reason as ever to Dump Starbucks if you haven't made the commitment to do so already." - From an unsigned post on NOM's blog. The post links to their boycott page, which after three years shows a measly 70K signatures, which is about as many Starbucks customers served every single day just in the company's hometown of Seattle. (Each Starbucks serves about 500 customers a day and there are currently about 140 stores in Seattle.)

AUSTRIA: Conchita Wurst Meets UN Head Ban Ki-Moon During Talks On LGBT Rights

Via the Associated Press:

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has joined Austrian cross-dressing pop star Conchita Wurst in calling for an end to bias based on a person's sexual orientation. Wurst teamed up with Ban on Monday on the sidelines of a U.N. conference to deliver their message of tolerance. Ban told reporters that he will continue his fight "against transphobia and homophobia." "I stand strong for equality," Ban said. "We are unstoppable," he added, quoting Wurst's words on the night of her victory at this year's Eurovision song contest.

More from Yahoo News:

The entertainer, sporting a demure dress and black high heels along with the trademark beard, shook hands and joked with Ban and sang for hundreds of cheering officials and diplomats at the United Nations complex in Vienna. "This year I extended benefits to same-sex partners of U.N. staff members... Discrimination has no place in the United Nations," Ban said to applause from officials, dozens of whom crowded round to get a picture with or autograph from Wurst. "When I heard that she won this Eurovision song contest I immediately knew that she was a star of the world," Ban said.

New Starbucks Commercial Features Queens From RuPaul's Drag Race

Via TIME Magazine:

Everybody loves coffee and its healing powers — especially drag queens, as we now know from Starbuck’s latest ad. It features Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano, fan favorites from the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race who are both very cranky and under-caffeinated while waiting in a long Starbucks line. They begin to argue and trade insults, but then the smiley barista hands them both their steaming beverages — and boom! Friendship repaired.

We look forward to NOM's reaction with glee!