Buddy Beaverhausen's Random Thoughts: Policeman Files Sexual Assault Suit Against Elton John

Say what?! When I first read the news articles, I thought: That's odd, a suspect patting down an officer.  It takes a lot of Philadelphia Freedom to say the least.

Turns out the officer in question, Jeffrey Wenninger, is a former bodyguard of Sir Elton's who claims he was sexually assaulted and  touched in an "unwelcome manner." I never realized Elton was such a big, strong guy that he could force himself on a bodyguard this way.

Elton's lawyer is, of course, calling the charges "baseless" and a waste of the court's time. Basically, it boils down to a shakedown operation.

The suit focuses on three specific incidents between March and April 2014, all on their way to or from the airport there. I'm trying to imagine how it's possible, as the passenger, to sexually assault your driver. Though it has been of fantasy of mine with a few hunky drivers I've had out to LaGuardia. Maybe Elton can give me some tips. Then again, maybe not.

I think it odd that Wenninger waited three years to place this lawsuit and I must say he appears pretty chipper with Elton in the photo at left, prominently sporting a big basket as John makes an unfortunate appearance in an Adidas sports outfit. Think I might file a lawsuit with the fashion police.

Elton John Steps Into My Christmas on Our 2015 Countdown

One of the best modern, original Christmas songs! We are all ready to step into Christmas to the tune of this rock'n'roller.

Christmas is only two days away, and my Countdown will carry on till New Year's Day with added songs for that occasion.

Happy holidays! Step in!

Cher, Elton, Jesus and the Whales

Both Cher and Elton John have again been shooting from the hip when talking to the press, serving up new controversy.

Cher took time from her currently ongoing Dressed to Kill farewell tour to diss SeaWorld. The diva Tweeted it was a "heinous corp" that "pretends 2 care 4 whales" but "It is $ and only $ that motivates them."

This isn't the pop goddess' first outing as an animal rights activist. Last year, she offered $500,000 to the Los Angeles Zoo for the release of Billy the Elephant, a pachyderm in peril, described as "overweight, depressed and sexually frustrated." For $500,000, I swear I could release myself from these issues should Cher so feel inclined to offer me this kind of incentive!

Kudos to Cher, however, for making time to speak out on behalf of the animal kingdom. And gypsies, tramps and thieves as well! I think it's safe to say we won't see her opening her act riding a humpback whale. Even Cher has her limits. And principles. And so does Elton John. (How was that for a segue I ask you?)

Mr John has come a long way from an "I'm Still Standing" closet case to a sitting-pretty gay rights activist, speaking out during the Russian Winter Olympics on behalf of that country's LGBT population. He recently courted controversy when he said on the UK's Sky News, on the topic of  marriage equality:

If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen. He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together, and that is what the church should be about.

In a 2010 Q&A with America's Parade magazine, Elton John called Jesus Christ a "super-intelligent gay man." In the Sky interview, John also praised Pope Francis and discussed his plans to marry long-time companion, David Furnish.

The Obamas Honor Dance Music Legend Frankie Knuckles

Dj/remixer Frankie Knuckles died from diabetic complications on the first of this month. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/04/dj-buddy-bs-tribute-to-house-musics.html

In 2004, Senator Barack Obama helped to declare Frankie Knuckles Day on August 25th in Chicago. Today, President Obama and First Lady Michelle offered condolences to his family, fans and friends. Dj David Morales said today: "You know you're a true legend when u get one of these." Back in June 2012, I wrote of Morales and Obama on this blog:

David Morales is back, ready to get everyone on their feet to his nouveau disco sound with "Golden Era," a retro-tinged dance number with orchestral flourishes associated with classic dance-floor arrangements. None other than club-fave Roisin Murphy (pictured), the contralto Irish diva of dance and electronica fame, is the featured vocalist on this and she rises to the occasion beautifully. So, swirl, hands up in the air, Sunday tea dance style, on the day our President officially and historically pronounced June "Gay Pride Month!" And have a cocktail or two to really celebrate. Happy days are here again this summer; toast to a new Golden Era! Disco's back!

Below, both the Morales "Disco Mix" & the President's announcement, courtesy of YouTube. (Btw, Prezzie O is so cool, he even tosses in a Whitney quote, "bit by bit, step by step.")

Today's letter from the First Couple read: "Frankie's work helped open minds and bring people together, blending genres to capture our attention and ignite our imaginations. He was a trailblazer in his field, and his legacy lives on in the city of Chicago and on dance floors across the globe."

Huffington Post wrote today: Also this week, musician Elton John announced the creation The Frankie Knuckles Fund, a new charity fund that will support HIV research in black communities and operate under the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"Frankie was such a lovely man and a great talent," John said in a statement, "and his legacy provides a powerful voice to reach out to people, particularly men of color, about their essential role in helping to create an AIDS-free future."

Knuckles' family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in Knuckles' memory be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York.

The dance-music community applauds our President, First Lady and Elton John for the recognition and the tributes to the Godfather of House Music deserves. Class acts all.

Elton John Speaks Out Against Rampant Homophobic Injustice in Russia Ahead of the Winter Olympics

"Pop singer Elton John spoke out on Wednesday against Russia's ban on homosexual propaganda, saying the law legitimized homophobia and provided legal cover to extremists," reported Reuters news service today.

"Everyone shared stories of verbal and physical abuse - at work, in bars and restaurants or in the street - since the legislation came into force last June," said the 66-year-old international pop star.

"Russia's law bans the dissemination of 'gay propaganda' among minors, and has become a focal point of criticism by the West and human rights activists who say the law is discriminatory and represents a crackdown on rights and freedoms under Putin," Reuters explained.

Last week, a pro bono legal document from a prominent international, corporate law firm crossed my desk. It was the testimony of a young man with HIV who was from Russia, currently living in the USA, but threatened with deportation. His story of the injustices, brutality and lack of any equal, basic human rights in his native country shocked me because it was so far beyond what we even read in the news and are aware of in this country and perhaps in most of the world. It was a nightmare and I can't even imagine living that kind of life where unprovoked physical, emotional and psychological brutality as well as the most extreme forms of discrimination against an individual, a citizen, are sanctioned by the authorities. This man's story is corroborated by what Elton heard from the LGBT community in Russia.

Elton John's statement, quoted in its entirety, in today's Rolling Stone on-line:

I am deeply grateful for the support of the Russian people who have welcomed and accepted me in their country ever since I first visited in 1979.

On my last visit, in December 2013, I wondered whether the new legislation banning "homosexual propaganda" might have changed that. It hadn't. I still felt the same warmth and welcome from the audiences that I have felt every time I have been in Russia.

On that trip I met with members of the LGBT community in Moscow. Although I was still welcomed as an openly gay foreigner, I wanted to really understand at first-hand what difference the legislation had made to Russian LGBT in their own country. What I heard reinforced all the media stories that have been circling since the propaganda bill became federal law: that vicious homophobia has been legitimised by this legislation and given extremists the cover to abuse people's basic human rights.

The people I met in Moscow – gay men and lesbians in their 20′s, 30′s and 40′s - told me stories about receiving threats from vigilante groups who would 'cure' them of homosexuality by dousing them with urine or beating them up. One young man was stalked outside a gay club by someone posing as a taxi driver who tried to garrotte him with a guitar string because he was a "sodomite". Everyone shared stories of verbal and physical abuse – at work, in bars and restaurants or in the street – since the legislation came into force last June. And, some of the vital work providing HIV prevention information to the gay community has been labelled "homosexual propaganda" and shut down.

It was very clear to me that, although foreigners like myself who are visiting Russia are not affected by this new law (and President Putin has recently confirmed this), it is a very different story for those living inside the country. As Maria Maksakova told her fellow Russian MPs last month: "We are seeing extremely negative consequences as a result of this law, with the growth of hate crimes."
President Putin asserts that this was not the intention, but it is undoubtedly the effect that this law has had by promoting misunderstanding and ignorance. In particular, it is very disappointing that the law explicitly links homosexuality with child sex abuse, which countless studies have shown to be conclusively wrong.

The people I met in Moscow were decent, kind, patriotic men and women who had no thought of forcing their sexuality on anyone. Whatever the intention of Russia's homosexuality and paedophilia propaganda laws, I am absolutely clear from my own personal experience that it is proving deeply dangerous to the LGBT community and deeply divisive to Russian society. I would welcome the opportunity to introduce President Putin to some Russians who deserve to be heard, and who deserve to be treated in their own country with the same respect and warm welcome that I received on my last visit.

Elton John and Moscow Discow

Word is out that Elton John will be performing at the Olympics in Moscow come December "despite the violently homophobic climate pervading Russia and the safety threats to openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the country, both citizens and foreigners," as Huffington Post succinctly reported.

Some are calling him a whore for money and media attention. He is receiving 12 million dollars for this gig. I certainly plan to refrain from purchasing his new album that arrives in stores next week until I see how this plays out.

John is widely quoted as saying, "I've got to go," echoing Gladys Knight about that Midnight Train to Georgia. (And she was going to Georgia, USA; not the country of Georgia, once part of the USSR!) "I’ve got to think about what I’m going to say very carefully. There’s two avenues of thought: do you stop everyone going, ban all the artists coming in from Russia? But then you’re really leaving the men and women who are gay and suffering under the anti-gay laws in an isolated situation. As a gay man, I can’t leave those people on their own without going over there and supporting them." We'll see how far he goes and how much support he offers. Only then will I decide whether to purchase The Diving Board. As for now, I'm considering Elton to have gone off the deep end.

Fall is sweeping in a lot of great dance music for us to download. The always awesome Debby Holiday (whom I interviewed last year: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/06/buddy-bs-exclusive-q-with-debby-holiday.html) returns with new 2013 remixes of her classic dancefloor smash, "Dive." Remixers on board include Chris Cox, Matt Consola & LFB, Club Junkies and the Dickinson/Farley remix among others. (My interview with Joel Dickinson at: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/02/dj-buddy-beaverhausens-q-with-dj-joel.html.)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=debby+holiday+dive&sprefix=debby+holida%2Cdigital-music%2C315

Also on Amazon, you can download the marvelous Martha Wash's new single, "It's My Time," remixed by The Paperchasers. Love this song and her latest album from which it came. My blog review that was also posted on the diva's website: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/02/im-into-something-good-martha-wash.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=martha+wash+it%27s+my+time&sprefix=Martha+Wash+It%2Cdigital-music%2C776

Barbara Sobel of Sobel Promotions tipped me off to a second batch of remixes of the new Village People song, "Let's Go Back to the Dancefloor." Expect this to get large, especially after their appearance on the new Arsenio Hall show. Again, a remix here by none other than our own Joel Dickinson!

http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Back-Dance-Floor-Remixes/dp/B00EVVDLUA/ref=sr_shvl_album_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379545185&sr=301-3

Get Kristy Love! Thanks once more to Ms Sobel and Sobel Promotions regarding the remix of Kristy Love's new single, "All Over the World." The diva was, at one time, a member of the classic group, The Platters. Hear her out! Enjoy this remix from Julian Marsh (our recent Q&A at http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-exclusive-q-with-remixer-producer-dj.html). You can download this and other remixes as well as the original mix at:

https://soundcloud.com/sobelpromotionsmusic/all-over-the-world-julian?in=sobelpromotionsmusic/sets/kristy-love-all-over-the/s-7itlD

Wrapping it up, the jury's out on Elton. The jury's verdict is up with new remixes. And we send our support to Russia:

A Very Puppini Christmas 2012

Yes, it's The Puppini Sisters once again, at Christmas. This time giving "Step into Christmas" the big band swing/ Andrews Sisters-like harmonies on the Elfin -- I meant Elton -- John song. Even Sir Elton is a big fan of this rendition. So, step into Christmas, everybody, as it's drawing all so near!

Hello, Hello, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga!

"Just heard my duet 'Hello, Hello' with Elton is up for nomination at the Oscars! Gnomeo & Juliet is such a beautiful film. I'm so happy!!" Lady Gaga informed via Facebook on Tuesday night. (Note double exclamation points; that really, really is happy, happy, hello, hello!!) She then added for our edification: "Sipping tea in Japan with Haus." [Haus of Gaga, her creative team according to Gagapedia, I believe she means.] "Feeling so grateful. We sold about 1 million albums a month worldwide since the release of BORN THIS WAY."

"Up for nomination" means the song is now on the Oscar short list; not yet a nominee. The final nominations will be announced January 24 and the Oscars will take place on February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre, in L.A.

As a number of songs from "The Muppets" are also in the running, I wouldn't expect to find Lady Gaga, Lady Happy wearing Muppets as clothing again, at least not prior to February 26. Not in public, anyhow. Especially since Her Gagaciousness was cut from the final edit of their film.

MTV on-line added, in their coverage of this announcement, "The busy holiday season caps off an even busier year for Lady Gaga, who happened to be MTV News' Top Newsmaker of 2011. She tirelessly released singles, videos, personas, a chart-topping album (Born This Way) and scooped up awards at seemingly every show from the Grammys to the VMAs. She was also #5 on our list of Best Artists of 2011, and her disco empowerment track 'Born This Way' snagged the #5 spot on the Best Songs of 2011 list as well."

Frankly, I'd say the song has a good shot at getting the final nod. Check out the link to hear it, below.

("Disco empowerment track," did MTV say? I like the sound of that!)

Gay, Gay, Gay

Sunday, June 26 turned out to be a particularly euphoric Gay Pride event. You see, I consider myself very lucky as the parade (by which, of course, I seriously mean the march) passes right by my building. It was a beautiful day weather-wise and the mimosas (champs with red grapefruit juice) and strawberry wine flowed freely. The marriage equality law had just passed the previous Friday evening (a b.f.d.; "Happy gays are here again," said Jon Stewart on tv), the weather was beautiful and friends Tracey & Merv just returned from a five-year hiatus in Arizona, returning to Connecticut before they got caught in one of the crossfires out there. It was our first Pride at my place since they'd left. (Tracey didn't know the march now turns off Fifth at the wider 8th St. venue rather than Washington Square South; that's how long it's been.)

I called my mother in Florida to say "Happy Pride Day!" Said my mother: "Friday? I thought it was Sunday!" Sigh.

Kevin marched with his church group but ditched them at 10th St. to get in the queue that would take him on the sidewalks to my place. My friend, Delores, was there, as were Merv's daughter, Shannon and her friend. And on the stoop is where I get to schmooze with neighbors I only otherwise say hi to in passing. Photographer Patrick McMullan was there as was the old lady with the turban, face full of make-up and zipped-up caftan. "I have nothing on under this," she loudly whispered to me for God-knows-what-reason as the parade passed us by. It was the too-much-info moment of my day. When she saw the hottie on a float, shaking his money-maker while wearing a thong, she added, "But I don't like when it gets dirty." I wanted to say, "But he's wearing underwear! It's all he's wearing, but he is wearing underwear!" However, my lips stayed zipped as did her caftan, thankfully for both.

Zipping my lips for the Moment of Silence, the one minute during which we honor those whose lives ended too soon due to the AIDS crisis, is always so difficult. I never realized how hard it is for me to shut up for a full minute -- or, for that matter, how long a minute can seem -- until this time arrives every year and all goes silent. But I managed it as I do every Pride Day. My body was wracked with serious aches and pains that joyous day, too, because I, who am unofficially "domestically challenged" (upgraded from "domestically disabled" when I reached my deepest nadir), spent over a week cleaning my ridiculously tiny studio. That's how much I love my friends; there is nothing I won't do for them, including scrubbing tile (but only in my own apt, f.y.i.). In the end, it may not have sparkled but it shone; no span but plenty of spic!

So, the following Thursday, feeling less sore, I went to Rainbows and Triangles (New York's "gay general store," as the owner, Steven, likes to call it) in Chelsea, then hailed a cab home to the Village. (Rainbows has the best dance music collections on cd, I swear. Check 'em out.) The driver, a Carribean man, stared at me for a while in the rear-view mirror. "You know who I thought you were?" he asked, at last. That opening line is, for me, always an invitation to trouble so I just said I had "no idea."

"He's about your age" (Uh-oh, we're going there!) "And he's gay, too...." What!?!

Gay, too?!? Frankly, I don't recall coming out to him inside his cab, as if it were a confession booth on wheels. "Gay too"! The cheek!

Then the name dawned on him, and he grinned. "Elton John!"

Excuse me? Elton fucking John?!? Despite my black shirt, gold sharkskin tie & sunglasses (not outrageously large), I thought I looked better than Elton John! My ego was deflated. But perhaps, in an alternate reality somewhere in London, a cabbie is telling Elton John that he looks like me. And Elton is braying out from behind famously gapped teeth, to David Furnish, no doubt: "Dj Buddy fucking Beaverhausen?!?" I mean, you just never know about these things.

But, honestly, at this point, I'm all fagged out. For now. And the only thing sore is my psyche.