Out clinical psychologist Mary Trump recently called her uncle Donald unhinged and incoherent, bizarre, and untethered from reality, saying he is dementing before the publics eyes. She based her assessment on the former presidents recent rambling comments on childcare, comments that several mainstream outlets presented as more comprehensible than they actually were.During Donald Trumps appearance at the Economic Club of New York last week a meeting of economists, business leaders and journalists he was asked what specific pieces of legislation he would pass as president to make childcare affordable. Related Donald Trumps psychologist niece shares the origin story for his thin skin Trumps nearly two-minute response, which has since been widely shared on social media, never answered the question. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In his rambling response, Trump said, I would do that, and were sitting down, I was somebody, we had Senator Marco Rubio and my daughter Ivanka was so impactful on that issue. Its a very important issue, but Theres something, you have to have it in this country, you have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that Im talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that theyre not used to, but theyll get used to it very quickly, and its not going to stop them from doing business with us, but theyll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that were talking about, including childcare, that its going to take care. Donald Trumps answer on how he will make childcare more affordable: pic.twitter.com/Hwu7R5aIt6 Acyn (@Acyn) September 5, 2024In a post to her SubStack, Mary Trump wrote that the corporate media believe they must translate Donalds nonsensical ramblings into a version of the English language we can all understand.She noted that, while reporting on the event, the Associated Press wrote that Trump had suggest[ed] tariffs can help solve rising child care costs; Politico wrote that he had laid out a sweeping economic vision of lower taxes, higher tariffs, and light-touch regulation; and The New York Times wrote that Trump had praised tariffs.Several other publications made similar reports, transgender journalist Parker Molloy noted. She and journalist Aaron Rupar called this a sane-washing of Trumps comments. Weighing in, Mary Trump wrote, Thats a huge problem because, on the one hand, theyre not really translating his words theyre imbuing them with a meaning that is not there; on the other hand, theyre doing this without telling us theyre doing it.Surely a political press corps that spent months arguing that President Bidens age renderedhimmentally unfit, wouldnt look the other way when the Republican candidate, the oldest person to run for president in American history, is not only old but decompensating before our very eyes, she continued. The difference of course is that Biden is aging while Donald isdementing.Donald really does seem to have worn down the corporate medias willingness to cover him properly. Its too badtheyre missing a story most people would be interested in, she added. American democracy depends upon a thriving fourth estate to function optimally. Thats not what we have right now. Not even close. She then unloaded on her uncle, writing, A former occupant of the Oval Office, a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist who attempted a coup, is desperately flailing while his campaign is failing to gain any traction. Donald is a frightened, desperate man knowing, as he does, that his continued freedom might well depend on his ability to get back into the White House so he can make the still-pending federal cases against him disappear. His increasingly fantastical pronouncements and worsening psychiatric disorders strike me as being newsworthy.Mary Trump will soon release her third memoir about the Trump family, entitled Who Could Ever Love You? In the book, Mary Trump describes Donald Trumps mother as seriously ill and psychologically unstable and his father as a sociopath. As a result, Donald Trump grew up as a bully with no friends and developed a widening cruel streak, she writes in the book, according to The Washington Post.

As Donald Trumps approval ratings continue to plummet, all eyes have turned to a special congressional election in Tennessees 7th district, which has shocked politicos by becoming a competitive race for Democrats after going for Trump by 22 points.The result of Republican gerrymandering, the district encompasses parts of Nashville and nearby rural counties and was essentially designed to always go red. But a recent poll from Emerson College Polling/Hill had the Republican candidate, Matt Van Epps, leading his Democratic opponent, State Rep. Aftyn Behn, by only 2 points. Related Democrats are taking back school boards as voters tire of Republican culture wars Even if Behn doesnt win the race something that would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago a defeat by single-digits could signal major trouble for Republicans in the 2026 midterms, USA Today reporters Joey Garrison and Zac Anderson point out.The Trump-endorsed Van Epps has championed a strong right-wing platform, including strong opposition to trans rights, or as he put it on his website, the woke lefts push for gender surgeries and mutilation on minors. He also said he would fight to ban trans women (whom he referred to as biological men) from competing in womens sports. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Republicans who have rallied around Van Epps have pointed to Democrat Behns support of trans rights as a reason not to vote for her.In a Truth Social post on November 30, Trump revealed his clear anxiety over the race and what it might signal if Van Epps performs poorly. Trump begged those in the district to please GET OUT AND VOTE on December 2. He claimed Behn hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in womens sports, and openly disdains Country music.He also reportedly told voters over the phone at a recent rally that the whole world is watching and they have to show that the Republican party is stronger than its ever been. The outcome of the race will not only determine whether the razor-thin GOP majority in the House gets even thinner, but will also be a huge bellwether for the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats are widely expected to dominate, as indicated by the very blue results of this years off-cycle races.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) attended the aforementioned rally, where, according to the New York Times, he also expressed his anxiety. I thought Tennessee was deep red, he told the crowd, questioning how Behn who he called a dangerous far leftist has gained so much steam.Behn has long been known in the state for her progressive ideals and her grassroots rise to victory in state politics. In 2023, local reporter Kathryn Rickmeyer called Behn a vehement supporter of LGBTQ+ rights the AOC of Tennessee. Her longtime partner has a trans son, and she called the Supreme Court decision upholding her states gender-affirming care ban a gut punch to transgender youth and their families.In Tennessee, this ruling adds fuel to the fire of the GOPs war on trans youth, she wrote. The exhaustive list of anti-trans legislation and resolutions passed by the Tennessee General Assembly isnt about protecting kids its about using fear to distract us from real issues like the fact that our budget is busted, our roads are falling apart, and our grocery prices are the highest in the country. Republicans have also glommed onto a (factual) 2020 comment she made about how both men and women can give birth. Among many other right-wing accounts, the GOP posted the clip on X and called her radical, unhinged, and out of touch. Behn spoke with Newsweek on Monday in the hours before Election Day to respond to Donald Trumps tirade against her on Truth Social.President Trump is saying all these things because he doesnt have a plan to address the rising cost of health care and to ensure that working Tennesseans are able to afford health care, groceries and utilities, she said. She also expressed optimism for the election, declaring, The momentum is on our side.Nothing really shocks me anymore in the year 2025, she added. But I will say that Trump and his billionaire friends are spending millions of dollars in a race that they should have won handily.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Out exclusively premieres Nasty Pig's December campaign, titled "Mergers & Acquisitions," launching today for the brand's Fall/Winter 2025 season. The new campaign is fronted by RuPaul's Drag Race superstar Violet Chachki with a twist!In a daring departure from his drag persona, Violet appears completely out of drag, revealing a bold, masculine side fans rarely see. The campaign also brings together Diego Miyake-Mugler, famed from the ballroom world and for winning season 2 of HBO Max's Legendary, and social media sensation David Alcocr, a.k.a. Dombeeef, known for his massive following on X/Twitter, Instagram, and OnlyFans."I've spent years giving the world hyper-feminine glamour, impossible proportions, and silhouettes that defy physics," Violet tells Out. "For this one, I wanted to remind everyone that underneath all the lacquer and illusion, there's a very real, very fine tuned body that does all the heavy lifting."Violet adds, "Nasty Pig has always celebrated sexuality without apology, and I love that. Doing this campaign out of drag felt like reclaiming my own masculinity on my own terms."Violet also hopes that his out-of-drag presentation in the campaign "reminds people that confidence is not a look it's an attitude. I've built a career on extreme transformation, but confidence is the through-line whether I'm in six-inch fetish heels or leather chaps.""For my fans, I want them to see that you can be glamorous, filthy, polished, perverse all in the same breath. You don't have to pick one lane," Violet notes. "For Nasty Pig's audience, I hope it pushes the aesthetic forward a bit: Yes, we're sexy, but we can also be fashion, art, and a little bit dangerous.""If my presence in this campaign makes someone feel empowered to show up as their fullest, freakiest, hottest self? Perfect, then. That's the whole point," Violet declares."Violet Chachki was an obvious choice, well at least to me," David Lauterstein, Nasty Pig CEO and co-owner, tells Out. "His personal style is a blend of fashion, fetish, and streetwear. Those three elements are the pillars of the Nasty Pig style we have curated since 1994."Lauterstein remarks, "Violet is also an incredible model in and out of drag. He's very editorial, and that was the exact vibe we were after for our latest content shoot 'Mergers & Acquisitions.'" Overall, Lauterstein says that the "Mergers & Acquisitions" campaign was all about uniting three influential forces in queer culture."We wanted to bring in some heavy hitters to really do the whole vibe justice," the CEO highlights. "We knew we wanted Violet, and we locked him down first. Dombeeef and Diego Miyake-Mugler both delivered in every frame.""Individually, they represent different facets of queer culture, drag, ballroom, and sex work," Lauterstein notes. "Considering we had all three of those facets represented in our very first photoshoot back in 1995, it felt totally on-brand to do it again. The results speak for themselves."The Trade Dress Shirt, Snout Necktie, and the Trade Pant bring a certain formality to the clothes while still maintaining Nasty Pig's edge."The shirt hugs the body and is finished with holster shoulder seams and metal collar details," Lauterstein explains. "The tie features our logo woven into the material. It's incredibly subtle, yet very Nasty Pig."The campaign also showcases standout pieces from Nasty Pig's new winter collection, such as the Logan Jacket an editorial update to the classic motorcycle jacket crafted in wool and leather with intricate seaming details and a half-zip waistband that beautifully crops the silhouette.Targeting consumers at the crossroads of queer identity and sex positivity, the new line is designed to take customers from boardroom to backroom with ease.In that sense, "Mergers & Acquisitions" symbolizes a bold evolution of the brand that blends fashion, fetish, and queer culture into a visual statement.For more information and to view the full campaign, visit NastyPig.com.

Lesbian journalist Rachel Maddow recently unveiled her new investigative history podcast Burn Notice, which covers the U.S. governments forced placement of Japanese people into internment camps during World War II. She felt compelled to create the podcast to draw parallels with the current presidential administrations treatment of immigrants in the United States.When we saw what was going on in terms of people being snatched off the streets and hastily built prison camps going up all around the country in deliberately remote areas, the resonance of it pushed this to the top of the line for us. It just felt like the time to do it, she told Time magazine of launching her podcast, comparing the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans during WWII to the violent present-day abductions and raids being committed by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Related George Takei says anti-immigrant policies are repeating one of Americas darkest chapters She noted that John DeWitt, the U.S. Army four-star general who oversaw the internment, initially wanted a far less sweeping plan to relocate Japanese people into camps after Japans bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. However, Karl Robin Bendetsen, a U.S. Army major at the time, helped develop a plan for all U.S. residents of Japanese ancestry both foreign- and American-born to be forced into concentration camps.Sometimes when the country does terrible things, when the government does really awful stuff, it feels like we could have never done this before, Maddow said. Thats definitely not true. These things dont just automatically happen. Theyre not on autopilot. There isnt anything inevitable about them. Its individual people the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time to give terrible policy outcomes like this. And so its worth being really specific about who is actually making this happen, whos driving it, who can potentially be targeted, or focused on in terms of trying to stop it or change it. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Her podcast not only highlights the villains but also the heroes who fought against the unconstitutional human rights abuses of the time, including Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr (R), who suffered political consequences for defending the dignity and humanity of relocated Japanese people living in the United States.Maddows podcast also highlights three young Japanese Americans who legally challenged their internment and lost in the courts, but later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their heroic efforts. Maddow said she felt particularly compelled to cover this historic incident now, seeing as the current president is exhibiting a lot of the real hallmarks of state capture of the media that weve seen in other authoritarian takeovers in other countries.Some media companies in this country have been [trying] to please Trump and ultimately to turn over media ownership to oligarchs who are happy to serve the regime, Maddow said. Theres almost consensus among real working journalists in this country that we cannot become a country that only has state TV. What it takes to do that is to stand up and be a successful, resonant, scrappy, aggressive, non-state TV competitor.Now, were there. Theres no use in warning anymore. Weve got masked, totally unaccountable secret police grabbing women out of daycares and building prison camps everywhere. In less than a year, the president has stuffed multiple billions of dollars into his own pockets, into those of his family. He has literally torn down the White House, she added.Were no longer at the point where we need to be warned about whats coming. Were now at a point where what we need is understanding whats going on, knowing what our options are in terms of how to preserve our democracy, to make sure that were not going to be the generation that lost the republic, she said.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Around 100 HIV activists blocked an intersection near the White House yesterday as part of a World AIDS Day protest against federal cuts to lifesaving HIV prevention programs. Protestors unfurled large red banners bearing the names of African countries denied HIV funding by the current administration, highlighting the lives now at risk.Trump thinks by banning commemoration of World AIDS Day, he can hide from the death and destruction that hes causing around the world, said Health GAP Executive Director Asia Russell, according to The Washington Blade. Russells comment referenced the current administrations refusal to commemorate World AIDS Day this year, marking the first time in 38 years that the U.S. government has ignored the international observance. Related Were still fighting on World AIDS Day because Trump is still murdering people with HIV But were here to say, we can see him, Russell continued. We see him stealing medicine, stealing support services, stealing HIV testing, stealing life-saving care from communities all around the world suffering and dying without access.The protestors met at 16th and I Streets, about two blocks away from the White House, and then marched to Lafayette Park about one block away. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Protestors noted that Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, defied the appropriations authority of Congress by slashing the funding for the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an HIV-prevention program that has saved an estimated 25 to 26 million lives since its inception in 2003.PEPFAR actually received full funding by Congress, but Vought helped cancel $4.9 billion for HIV/AIDS prevention and other foreign aid health programs, the protest groups noted.As a result, lifesaving treatment and prevention programs have closed across dozens ofsub-SaharanAfrican countries, while Vought has refused to release money ringfenced by Congress to save lives, the demonstrators press release noted. The protest was organized by Housing Works, Health GAP, Treatment Action Group, AIDS United, ACT UP Philadelphia, and the National Minority AIDS Council.While the U.S. recently shipped two million doses of lenacapavir, a groundbreaking twice-a-year HIV-prevention injectable medication, to the African nations of Eswatini and Zambia, an estimated 127,073 adult and 13,527 infant deathshave been causedby the effects of HIV/AIDS due to the current presidents cuts in funding.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has continued to troll the president through his Press Office social media account, which mimics Donald Trumps own speaking and posting style as as a form of satire against the administration. Most recently, Newsom brutally mocked the White Houses claim that Trump is in excellent health after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) called for the release of Trumps MRI results. Related Donald Trumps lesbian niece blasts media for dishonestly hiding his dementia Mimicking the hyperbolic language Trump consistently uses to praise himself and his administration, Newsom posted a fake letter from a Dr. Dolittle to declare that the governor is the healthiest human currently alive or recorded in medical history. His cardiovascular scans are the best weve ever recorded, the letter went on, adding that his arteries were described as shimmering, and his resting heart rate was so steady the EKG machine asked if he was meditating or just naturally enlightened. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The letter than compared Newsom directly to Trump, saying that unlike the president, Newsom completes full workdays without falling asleep in meetings, does not require executive time to lie down and watch TV during work hours, and is able to stand upright without looking like the leaning Tower of Pisa. Summary of Governor Gavin C. Newsoms Advanced Imaging Results pic.twitter.com/4LMLvmRG82 Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) December 2, 2025Concerns over Trumps health have risen in recent weeks. His niece, Mary Trump, emphasized in a recent video that her uncle is not doing well and that even diehard Republicans can no longer ignore his obvious physical and mental decline.Donald is 79 years old and a deeply unhealthy person, she said.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Congratulations are in order for queer comedian/actor Cameron Esposito and their wife, Katy Nishimoto, as they welcomed their first baby.Esposito announced on Instagram that they gave birth to Yumi Young Esposito Nishimoto on November 27. "WE ARE OVER THE MOON," they captioned the post.Esposito, who starred in the shows A Million Little Things and Take My Wife, hosted the podcast Queery for seven years. They've also released several comedy specials, including Four Pills, which came out in April 2025. In that special, Esposito opened up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 40.See on InstagramFriends flocked to the announcement to congratulate the couple."Omg Yumi congrats," wrote The L Word: Generation Q actor Leo Sheng."Congrats," added comedian Catherine McCafferty."Yay!! Congrats!!" Top Chef winner Melissa King wrote."Congratulations, A whole standup special ONE WEEK before giving birth? Next level legend behavior MashaAllah," wrote author and podcaster Balir Imani. (@) The couple got married in 2021, with Esposito announcing the nuptials on social media. "A few weeks ago, Katy & i got married," Esposito wrote at the time. "We were alone on the day (w/ friends & fam on zoom) so we took photos beforehand."See on InstagramEsposito had been chronicling their pregnancy on social media, and even did a stand-up comedy performance about their pregnancy on November 23, when they were nine months pregnant.

KATSEYE's Lara Raj seems like she's ready to take a trip to the Upside Down after sharing that she is a fan of the wildly popular Netflix series Stranger Things earlier this week. The girl group member, who came out as queer earlier this year called the show a "cinematic masterpiece" and said that Noah Schnapp's character, Will, "looks hot" in a recent TikTok livestream. This then prompted swift backlash from social media users who were upset that she extended a compliment to the controversial actor. @michaelismyname04 Laras recent live clips #lararaj #katseyelara #katseye #weverse #myway "Will looks so hot," the Grammy-nominated singer said in the video. "He looks so hot in that last scene Im like, period! Youre giving.After her fans informed her of the controversial comments he made, she clarified her statement and said, "Oh hell nah guys, I am just a fan of the show! I was not aware of any of the actors' backgrounds or stances. I was not sharing support for anything but the show do not get it twisted! Thank you." (@) Schnapp, who plays Will Byers in Netflix's smash hit series and identifies as gay, came under fire after he showed support for Israel a month after the October 7 attacks in Gaza; in an Instagram Story, he was seen laughing along with a group of people holding up "Zionism is sexy" stickers . After he faced backlash, Schnapp put out a statement on Instagram, saying, "As a Jewish American, I am afraid. Afraid for my brothers and sisters in Israel, who have been senselessly attacked by Hamas. I am truly heartbroken to see the brutal murders of innocent children, women, and soldiers fighting to defend themselves."The show recently returned for its fifth and final season (after three years) and aired the first of two volumes in November, and the series finale will come out on December 31. Schnapp's character, Will, embarks on a journey of queer self-acceptance in the final season that was praised by Out critic Mey Rude for showing that "being gay is a superpower."

Benito Skinner is showing off his winter body!The handsome actor decided to spice up the timeline a bit by posting a steamy shirtless selfie just after Thanksgiving.Naturally, fans rejoiced at the spicy photo and shared their feral reactions across social media. Check out some of the highlights below! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Fruitier, juicier, and starrier than ever, RuPaul's Drag Race season 18 features a sickening lineup of 14 new queens who are ready to compete for the grand prize of $200,000, an official makeup collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics, and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar with a premiere date already set for Friday, January 2 at 8 p.m. on MTV.The Drag Race season 18 premiere will challenge these new queens to "Reclaim! Renew! Rejoice!" by paying tribute to the queens that came before them. How so, you ask? Well, by unlocking the Drag Race vaults filled with leftover treasures from seasons past that can be used to create all-new signature drag looks that showcasing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. We hope you're ready The house down boots!Meet the queens of RuPaul's Drag Race season 18 below and tune in to watch the grand premiere on Friday, January 2, 2026 on MTV.Editor's note: All photos, personal information, and descriptions below are courtesy of MTV and World of Wonder.Athena DionCity: Miami, FLInstagram: @athenadionNamed after the Greek goddess, Athena Dion brings legendary energy wherever she goes. A talented hostess and prolific drag mother, she has built a dynasty spanning Miami and Mykonos, Greece, counting Morphine Love Dion and Plane Jane among her drag daughters. This season, Athena makes Drag Race herstory alongside Juicy Love Dion, marking the first-ever mother/daughter duo to compete together.Briar BlushCity: Boston, MAInstagram: @briarblushBoston's pin-up princess, Briar Blush is a walking contradiction: retro yet edgy, goth yet glamorous, sweet but with a sting. With her signature jet black hair and killer beat, she commands attention wherever she goes. Named after the thorns on a rose, Briar's sharp wit and prickly personality prove she's not here to be liked she's here to be remembered. Ciara MystCity: Indianapolis, INInstagram: @the_ciara_mystIndy's shapeshifting superstar, Ciara Myst blends sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and magic into her drag. A prosthetic makeup artist with credits ranging from Dynasty to Marvel Studios productions, Ciara Myst crafts her own costumes and promises to bring creature transformations to life on the main stage. A little ooky-spooky, a little ethereal, Ciara Myst is ready to haunt, mesmerize, and transform the competition one look at a time.Darlene MitchellCity: Los Angeles, CAInstagram: @itsdarlenebtwA country, camp queen, Darlene Mitchell blends soap opera glamour with Midwestern trailer trash panache. Known for her signature Peg Bundy-style hair, she originally hails from Greentown, Indiana, and once performed under the name Trash. After 10 years in drag but a five-year hiatus from the performance circuit Darlene comes to the competition to see if RuPaul and the main stage can coax her back out of her bedroom once more.DD FuegoCity: New York, NYInstagram: @ddfuegoFiery and feisty, DD Fuego is a full-on production, serving runway-ready looks with a wink and a nod. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, she brings the heat without the cha-cha-cha Latina clichs. A former production designer for TV and off-Broadway theater, she created behind the scenes before stepping into the spotlight. High heat and maximum impact, DD Fuego leaves nothing on the stage but smoke.Discord AddamsCity: St. Petersburg, FLInstagram: @discordxaddamsWho's ready for a little chaos? Discord Addams is a high-fashion punk rock maximalist, serving looks packed with safety pins, studs, and unapologetic attitude. Known for playing guitar in a punk rock band, Discord brings a dark, raw energy to the stage. Her ultimate goal: To trade the mosh pit for the runway and become a bona fide drag rock star.Jane Don'tCity: Seattle, WAInstagram: @heyjanedontInspired by old-school funny ladies like Bette Midler and Joan Rivers, Jane is a comedy queen serving up sharp jokes and even sharper shoulder pads. Counting as her drag sisters both Bosco (Drag Race season 14 and All Stars 10) and Irene The Alien (Drag Race season 15 and All Stars 10), Jane Don't walks into the competition ready to make her own mark and make the other queens sweat.Juicy Love DionCity: Miami, FLInstagram: @thejuicyloveSmall in size, colossal in talent, Juicy Love Dion turns every performance into a masterclass in dance. Self-described as "Miami's Afro-Cuban dancing doll," Juicy brings energy, precision, and flair to every stage she steps on. A proud member of the Dion Dynasty, she's the drag daughter of Morphine Love Dion and technically the drag granddaughter of fellow competitor Athena Dion, proving that in the Dion Dynasty, the juice flows through every generation.Kenya PleaserCity: Sumter, SCInstagram: @kenyapleaserThis Southern showstopper is already serving you the answer to the question in her name: Can you please her? Only if you can handle all this auntie energy and attitude! A celebrated Lizzo impersonator, Kenya mixes heart, humor, and high energy performances that get the crowd on their feet. Kenya is here to show the world that Southern charm, curves, and confidence are a winning combination.Mandy MangoCity: Philadelphia, PAInstagram: @mandyy.mango"A mango a day keeps the doctor away!" Mandy Mango is Philly's favorite fruit, serving kooky, conceptual looks with playful flair. By day, she's a nurse specializing in HIV and sexual health, caring for the LGBTQ+ community. By night, she's giving the stage a healthy dose of fruity energy. With a cheeky bedside manner, Mandy Mango prescribes high doses of charisma, charm, and contagious energy with every performance.Mia StarrCity: West Palm Beach, FLInstagram: @theofficialmiastarrMia Starr is a 1990s/early 2000s hip-hop dancing diva bringing urban style, sharp choreography, and powerhouse personality to the main stage. A talented backup dancer with world tour credits for Rihanna, and Britney Spears, and a Super Bowl performance with JLo she started drag 17 years ago, took a 14-year break to chase her dance career, and now she's back Ready to shine front and center.Myki MeeksCity: Orlando, FLInstagram: @myki.meeks"Gorgeously stupid, and stupidly gorgeous," Myki Meeks is Orlando's dynamic theatrical powerhouse. A self-described "recovering theater kid," Myki blends glamour with camp, lights up the room as a host, and is known back home for her quick wit and ease with a microphone. A talented actress and consummate performer, Myki brings a stage presence that will keep the competition on its toes.Nini CocoCity: Denver, COInstagram: @theninicocoA high-energy, high-fashion diva from the Mile High City, Nini Coco is equal parts theatrical and fierce. A skilled costume designer, she blends conceptual looks with show-stopping performances. Having quit her day job as a mechanical engineer, she's here to prove that trading blueprints for sequins is a risk worth taking - because in her world, it's all or nothing.Vita VonTesse StarrCity: Montgomery, ALInstagram: @vitavontessestarrCalling herself "Queen V," Vita VonTesse Starr is a pageant powerhouse and an icon of opulence. Hailing from the famed Starr drag family, she's a multi-titleholder who brings elegance, precision, and a flair for the dramatic to every performance. Vita handcrafts show-stopping looks that match her stage presence, making her a formidable competitor in any sewing challenges.Watch: Meet the Queens of RuPaul's Drag Race season 18.We can't wait to see how this turns out!

Everyone is obsessed with Heated Rivalry.The hit hockey series made quite a splash as fans around the world held their breath while watching the intense gay sex scenes play out in just the first two episodes.Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are already receiving critical acclaim for their portrayals of the two respective leading hockey stars, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander."It makes me blush to think of how many people have seen my butt already! I knew that going well into this. It's that dynamic of being powerful, but also having that tenderness with the consent. I think people find that sexy," Storrie tells PRIDE."They're going to get what they're looking for and more! We delivered. We killed it. It's the best TV adaptation of all TV adaptations! You can quote me on that," Williams adds. See on Instagram Although many of the show's steamy sex scenes have gone viral on social media, fans are in for a wild ride as more spicy moments will unfold with new episodes coming out weekly."At the end of the day, I hope it can be this celebratory thing that can join people in their homes getting hot and heavy together hand-holding, leg grabbing, lip biting, sweat permeating, pants tightening, [and] spit swapping," Williams says.Behind the camera, Jacob Tierney served as Heated Rivalry's gay creator, writer, and director who wanted to prioritize intimacy and consent as the characters navigate their intense love affair."There's a lot of sex in this show, and the sex is how these two characters get to know each other. It's a language of communication, and it pushes the story forward, so the sex is something we all took very seriously. The sex was enormously important for the show," Tierney says.New episodes of Heated Rivalry drop every Friday on HBO Max, with the finale slated to run on December 26, 2025.

HIV-positive men gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana Sunday to mark World AIDS Day with a defiant demonstration of queer love and affection in front of Donald Trumps border wall.Queer health and human rights organization MPact Globals third annual Besoton Sidoso Internacional/International HIV Kiss-In took on new significance amid the administrations ongoing attacks on immigrants and its abnegation of the U.S.s role in fighting HIV/AIDS around the world. Related HIV activists block D.C. intersection to protest Donald Trumps cuts to life-saving programs In a video posted to MPact Globals Instagram on December 1, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications Alex Garner described the event as a bold political demonstration of the value of the sexuality of queer people living with HIV and the fundamental human rights of queer migrants. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MPact (@mpact.global) Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today As The Advocate notes, a 2018 report from the National Institute of Health indicated that migrants living in high-income countries are disproportionately affected by HIV and are frequently unable to access the care they need. The outlet also cited a February 2025 study from the Williams Institute, which found that as many as 288,000 undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+.As of [SIC] one of the only openly HIV-positive Executive Directors of a global organization, I am inspired and heartened by this highly visible action for the rights of all people living with HIV, especially queer migrants, when theres so much fear and disinformation out there, MPacts Andrew Spieldenner said of the kiss-in, according to The Advocate. Garner told the outlet that MPact works with local communities to stage its annual kiss-in demonstrations as a bold, provocative, and revolutionary act to publicly demonstrate the sexuality of people living with HIV and declare the human rights of queer migrants.Weve transcended borders of sexuality and of gender and borders cannot restrict our fight for queer migrants and people living with HIV as we utilize the power of a kiss, Garner said.Last week, The New York Times confirmed that the U.S. State Department had sent an email directing employees and grantees not to use federal funds to mark World AIDS Day on December 1. State Department employees were instructed to refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging. 2025 is the first year since 1988 that the U.S. government has not commemorated World AIDS Day.According to the Times, the State Department email noted that the directive was part of the Trump administrations policy to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days. But as The Guardian reported, since returning to office in January, Trump has signed at least a dozen proclamations for various awareness days and other commemorative observances.Alongside its brutal crackdown on undocumented immigrants, the Trump administration has also drastically cut federal funding for HIV prevention worldwide. An estimated 127,073 adult and 13,527 infant deaths have been caused by the effects of HIV/AIDS due to Trumps cuts in funding for the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved an estimated 25 to 26 million lives since its inception in 2003.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The highly anticipated adaptation of the popular gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry has been breaking the internet every day since the premiere dropped, and now, star Hudson Williams is going viral for one body part in particular: his back.Well, the sexy way he arched his back during one of the show's extremely hot sex scenes, to be specific.The very gay and very steamy new TV show that has likely taken over your timeline was created by out showrunner Jacob Tierney, based on the Game Changer series of book by Rachel Reid, and follows hockey rivals Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Williams) as they meet during their rookie year and have immediate chemistry that leads to years of passionate secret trysts, endless yearning, and a deep romantic connection. A screenshot from the show that features Williams as Shane arching his back as he crawls toward Ilya in one of the sex scenes has the whole internet talking. (@) The pic instantly went viral when it was posted a few days ago and only picked up steam since then, now racking up over 23 million views as of this writing. And we can see why! Williams back arch is epic. Its clear Hudson was hitting the gym and not missing leg gay to prep for this role.The internet was not shy about their feelings, so check out the feral reactions to Williams nasty back arch. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Former President Joe Biden will be honored Friday with the Chris Abele Impact Award at the LGBTQ+ Victory Institutes 41st International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference, an annual Washington, D.C., gathering that has become both thermometer and barometer for the political fortunes of LGBTQ+ Americans.Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.For Biden, who left office in January, the award marks a capstone in what LGBTQ+ advocates widely view as the most inclusive administration in U.S. history: one that appointed a record number of LGBTQ+ officials, reinstated and expanded federal protections, restored transgender military service, and elevated barrier-breaking queer and trans leaders such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Admiral Rachel Levine, Ambassador Chantale Wong, and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.Related: Pete Buttigieg will be inducted into LGBTQ+ Political Hall of Fame at DNC (exclusive)The moment arrives as LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans Americans, under the second administration of President Donald Trump, face accelerating political aggression, misinformation campaigns, and state-sanctioned erasure. And it comes as LGBTQ+ candidates and elected officials themselves enter the next cycle with what Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low describes as a rare, almost paradoxical blend of urgency and hope. President Biden has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy, Low said in announcing the award. The Institutes board cited Bidens historic leadership on LGBTQ+ equalitya standard made starker by the political environment in which this years conference unfolds.In an interview with The Advocate, Low said the timing underscores a broader truth: the community is being targeted with laser-focused attempts to legislate us out of existence, even as LGBTQ+ leaders at every level of government run toward, not away from, the fight. You would imagine that people feel disenfranchised or at a loss, he said. Yet quite the contraryour LGBTQ elected officials arent sitting on the sidelines. Theyre leading the fight. A conference shaped in momentumMore than 700 LGBTQ+ elected officials, advocates, and global human-rights leaders will gather from Thursday to Saturday for the nations largest LGBTQ+ political convening. The program features the breadth of LGBTQ+ power in 2025, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and prominent allies such as Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is running for U.S. Senate. Authors Mary Trump, the presidents niece, and Stuart Milk, the nephew of legendary assassinated California politician Harvey Milk, are also expected to appear.But what animates the conference is not only who holds office now its whos preparing to run next.The 2024 election results in states like Virginia and New Jersey, where Democrats saw huge wins, Low said, have triggered a measurable surge in LGBTQ+ people seeking political training and contemplating bids for office. Victorys candidate training programs, he noted, are seeing two to three times their typical demand. He cited one example as emblematic: the organizations first-ever training program exclusively for transgender candidates offered 15 slots and received nearly 65 applications. Theres this narrative that the LGBTQ community, particularly the trans community, is a political liability, Low said. In fact, we feel the contrary. They are assets. And we have the receipts to prove it. The new metrics of LGBTQ+ political powerLow spoke with particular admiration about California U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee, Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem, the first out trans person elected to a state legislature, and Delaware U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, the first out transgender person elected to Congressleaders he said are reshaping the metrics by which LGBTQ+ officials are judged.What makes them successful is that theyre passionate about everyday issues, he said. They elevate democracy, infrastructure, housing affordabilitynot just LGBTQ+ rightsand they do it while being proud, openly LGBTQ leaders. This, he argued, is what makes LGBTQ+ visibility politically durable: authenticity paired with competence on the issues that govern daily American life.Related: Sarah McBride explains how Democrats big tent is bisexualLGBTQ+ candidates, he said, are confronting unprecedented levels of harassment, doxxing, and threats to themselves and their families. Victory Institute, in response, has expanded its professional development support to include mental health services and counseling. These are significant barriers to entry, he said. We want to ensure people know how to grapple with what is before them. Bidens recognition comes as at least 80 out LGBTQ+ candidates have already filed to run for federal office in the 2026 cyclea historic figure that Victory officials expect to climb. Related: Democrat Sarah McBride on her approach to expanding trans acceptance in Congress and AmericaLow said Bidens recognition is part of a broader realignment: LGBTQ+ inclusion at the highest levels of government, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has become an expectation rather than a novelty.Weve reached a pivotal moment in American history, he said. It is in the best interest of any administration to ensure LGBTQ voices are present at the highest levels.

We were first introduced to Porsha Williams as the demure wife of former NFL player Kordell Stewart on the fifth season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but since then, the reality star has undergone a huge transformation. She may have started out on the franchise as a straight woman who thought the Underground Railroad was an actual train, but over the years, she became a fierce Black Lives Matter activist who is now dating a woman. On November 28, Williams hard launched her new girlfriend, Sway McKinney, with a series of adorable photos of the happy couple on Instagram to celebrate McKinneys birthday.Williams seems happy in her new sapphic relationship, but what do we know about Sway McKinney?Who is Sway McKinney?See on InstagramPatrice "Sway" McKinney is a master barber who started her career as a full-time barber and hair stylist back in 2012, before getting tired of being on her feet all day and becoming an entrepreneur. McKinney started her own salon suite business and opened four Encore Salon Suites locations across Atlanta, Georgia. Now, she also has a mentorship program where she helps other people open their own salon suite businesses.How did Porsha Williams announce she was dating Sway?See on InstagramOn Friday, Nov. 28, Williams posted a birthday message to McKinney on Instagram, alongside a carousel of photos of the happy couple. The Happiest Birthday @sway_thepro, she wrote. She continued: Hope this year continues to bring you everything you want and more!" And added, Cant wait to act up saturday!The Instagram post included photos of Williams standing in front of glitzy Christmas trees with McKinney standing behind her with her arms around her waist, a photo of the two women pressing their cheeks together with Williams making a kissy face, video footage of the couple dancing together, and a pic of McKinney grabbing Williams' butt while kissing her on the cheek. McKinney also shared video footage from her birthday celebration, which included shots of her dancing with Williams.Has the cast of 'RHOA' met Sway McKinney?At this year's BravoCon, Williams said that most of her fellow castmates on the Real Housewives of Atlanta have already met McKinney. Actually, it was almost the whole group at the same time, she said, per Essence. I had already gone out on a date with my female friend. It was not really a date it was just me, her, my sister hanging out. And then when the premiere came, I said, maybe I should just text her and ask her if she wants to come with me.Williams said that she introduced her new girlfriend to cast members Phaedra Parks and Angela Oakley, among others. Fans also spotted McKinney when filming of season 17 of RHOA was happening at Drew Sidoras movie premiere earlier this year.Is this the first time Porsha Williams has dated a woman?See on InstagramFollowing her divorce from her second husband, Simon Guobadia, Williams talked openly about her interest in dating women."When you go through a bad enough breakup, you're like, 'I don't like nobody,'" Porsha told People in June. "I was sitting there, I was like, 'Do I like women enough? Can I get with a woman? Who can come in and fill this void?' But I don't yet. It'll come.While Williams has never explicitly come out as bisexual or queer, she has talked openly about her same-sex sexual experiences, and in October at CultureCon 2025, Williams shared with fans that she was dating both a man and a woman."The people who Im talking to now, its just two," she said in a video shared from the event. "I narrowed it down to two, and he is nice and she is nice."Looks like the best woman won.

A group of HIV-positive men met at at the border between the United States and Mexico Sunday to kiss, creating a powerful display of defiance in the face of discrimination.Ahead of World AIDs Day, MPact Global Action for Gay Mens Health and Rights hosted the third annual Besoton Sidoso Internacional, also known as the International HIV Kiss-In, in Friendship Park/Parque de la Amistad on the border between California and Mexico. The demonstration sought to uplift people living with HIV and take away the stigma that surrounds dating and sex, while also showing solidarity with queer migrants as they face persecution from the Trump administration."As of one of the only openly HIV-positive Executive Directors of a global organization, I am inspired and heartened by this highly visible action for the rights of all people living with HIV, especially queer migrants, when theres so much fear and disinformation out there," Andrew Spieldenner, MPact executive director, told The Advocate. "Our communities are powerful when we come together.Migrants living in high-income countries are disproportionately affected by HIV infection, according to a 2018 report from the National Institute of Health, and frequently have characteristics associated with poor HIV clinical outcomes. A large portion of migrants acquire HIV after migration, and are frequently unable to access care.Up to 3 percent of non-U.S. citizens living in the United States (640,000 people) are LGBTQ+, a separate study from the Williams Institute found, including as many as 288,000 undocumented immigrants. Queer migrants are already at a heightened risk under Trump's policies, and queer migrants living with HIV in U.S. detention centers are particularly subjected to violence, stigma, and denied access to lifesaving medications."MPact works in collaboration with local communities to create the International HIV Kiss-in because it's a bold, provocative, and revolutionary act to publicly demonstrate the sexuality of people living with HIV and declare the human rights of queer migrants," said Alex Garner, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & Communications at MPact. "We've transcended borders of sexuality and of gender and borders cannot restrict our fight for queer migrants and people living with HIV as we utilize the power of a kiss."Scroll for more pics from the Besoton Sidoso Internacional.

Swiss tennis star Mika Brunold opened up about his sexuality in a revealing Instagram post.The 21-year-old athlete came out as gay when he took to Instagram and admitted that it was time to open up and share his sexual orientation with his fans.After writing that he has spent countless hours working on his game, body, and mindset, Brunold said that self-discovery has been the most important thing hes devoted time to. Through all of this, one of the most important things Ive learned is that success on the court isnt just about physical skill its about discovering your personality and staying true to yourself, he started his Instagram post.Brunold went on to admit hes felt like he had to hide the fact that hes gay from the public. Ive been thinking a lot about how to talk about this, he wrote. And while it hasnt always been easy, hiding it and pretending to be someone Im not was never an option.Thats why I feel its time for me to open up and share with you that Im gay, he continued.See on InstagramBrunold also admitted that he felt pressure to stay quiet about being gay, a source of stress and anguish that straight people never have to face. Being gay doesnt mean loving the same gender it also means dealing with things most people never have to think about, he said. The fear of not being accepted, the pressure to stay quiet, the feeling of being different. But Ive grown. And Im proud of who I am today. Brunold wrote that in an ideal world, we wouldnt even need to come out at all, but that he felt it was important because he believes its not talked about enough in sports.Historically, tennis hasnt been a very inclusive sport, with very few out LGBTQ+ players, despite Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King both coming out in the early 80s.But things are slowly changing, and now not only is Brunold an out gay player, but sapphic Aussie player Daria Kasatkina made it to this years Grand Slam, and last year Brazilian gay tennis star Joo Lucas Reis da Silva became the first active male pro tennis player to come out publicly.

Jennifer Capasso, a 42-year-old transgender woman with stage four rectal cancer, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center in New York City after she secretly recorded her surgical team allegedly making transphobic comments about her. MSK denied her accusations and said her recording violated worker privacy.Capasso claimed that operating room staff preparing to remove her malignant lung tumor said that she had man parts, referred to her and her trans partner as men, and said that being trans was not right and doesnt make sense, The New York Times reported, recounting accusations from a lawsuit she filed last March in New Yorks Supreme Court. Related Less than 1% of U.S. clinical trials include trans patients. It isnt by choice. Capasso also said that during the March 7, 2022 procedure, an operating room nurse told a hospital administrator to change Capassos sex in her patient records from female to male. Capasso said this incorrect gender designation remained on her medical records until last January.She recorded the alleged comments through her phone, which she placed in a nearby handbag during the procedure. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today She also claimed that her colorectal surgeon misgendered her during a June 2021 procedure. The surgeons behavior made her feel unsafe and humiliated with heightened gender dysphoria, she said.If true, the hospitals actions would violate New York Citys LGBTQ Health Care Bill of Rights, which requires healthcare workers to recognize, affirm, and document a patients designated name and pronouns in medical records. In its court filings, MSKs lawyers claimed that Capassos recording was largely inaudible, making it impossible to ascertain the speakers or the full context of their discussion.The secret recording captured portions of a discussion that occurred during surgery while plaintiff was under anesthesia in which staff members discussed plaintiffs transgender status with every reasonable expectation that plaintiff would not hear this discussion, MSKs lawyers wrote.A third of trans people reported negative experiences with health care providers, including verbal harassment or a refusal of care, according to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. A 2019 studyin theJournal of Clinical Oncologyfound that 83% of oncologists said they wanted to learn more about caring for trans patients. Only 37% felt they knew enough to adequately care for trans people as a whole.Despite the accusations, Capasso said she continues to receive care at MSK because its one of the worlds best cancer hospitals.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The University of Oklahoma has placed a trans graduate instructor on administrative leave after a student received a zero on a psychology assignment that described transgender people as demonic and asserted that gender roles are Biblically ordained. The dispute has quickly escalated into a statewide political flashpoint.Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.The controversy began when junior Samantha Fulnecky submitted a 650-word reaction paper for a course on how social expectations shape gender. Instead of addressing the assignments questions using data, her essay claimed society is pushing lies about gender, warned that eliminating strict gender roles would be harmful, and described transgender identities as demonic, Them reports.Related: Oklahoma transgender student dies after allegedly assaulted by students at schoolScreenshots of the essay and instructors comments were posted by the campus chapter of Turning Point USA on Thanksgiving. Right-wing media networks quickly boosted it. (@) Graduate teaching assistant Mel Curth, who graded the paper, wrote that the zero was based on academic criteria, not retaliation for the students religious views. Curth wrote that the essay does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive. Curth also noted that portraying a marginalized group as demonic is highly offensive, and urged the student to use empirical sources rather than doctrinal statements when critiquing course material.Related: Oklahoma trans woman fired over Charlie Kirk comments was nearly driven to suicideA second instructor, Megan Waldron, independently reviewed the paper and agreed that it did not satisfy the assignment prompt or basic academic writing expectations.Fulnecky then filed a religious discrimination complaint with the university.OU confirmed Sunday in a new public statement that it takes seriously concerns involving First Amendment rights, certainly including religious freedoms. (@) The university said it immediately began a full review after receiving the students complaint, maintained regular communication with the student, and ensured no academic harm resulted from the disputed grade. OU also said the student filed a discrimination claim based on religious belief, that the review process has been activated, and that the graduate instructor was placed on administrative leave to ensure fairness. A full-time professor is now teaching the course for the rest of the semester. OU said the instructor will not face academic or financial harm during the review.On Sunday, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt urged OUs Board of Regents to investigate and warned that students should not be penalized for their religious beliefs, in a social media post. (@) His intervention helped transform a grading dispute into a statewide ideological battle over higher education governance and LGBTQ+ inclusion.On Monday, the campus chapter of Turning Point USA posted on Instagram that Curth was placed on leave for blatant discrimination and framed the grade as punishment for quoting the Bible, claiming the universitys Sunday statement confirmed its position. See on Instagram OU has not said when its investigation will conclude.

Anti-trans right-wing groups called out Benedictine University (BenU), a Catholic college in Illinois, for hosting a Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) event in November. While the university initially doubled down on why TDOR fit with their Catholic values, after Fox News recently picked up the story, the university apparently removed pages from its website claiming to offer safe spaces for diverse communities.At Benedictine University, we believe that honoring the dignity of every person and praying for those who have died are fundamental expressions of our Catholic and Benedictine identity, the university said in its initial statement on November 20. The recent event was first and foremost a prayer service to honor lives lost. It was a solemn remembrance rooted in Catholic social teaching and belief in the inherent and sacred dignity possessed by every person, created in the image of God. Related University punishes trans educator for discrimination after student calls her demonic TDOR, which occurs annually on November 20, specifically remembers trans people who lost their lives due to anti-trans violence. The universitys response aligns with various love your neighbor elements of Christian doctrine.The day before TDOR, the Libs of TikTok account on X, an anti-LGBTQ+ hate account run by Chaya Raichik, posted the events flier. The event was hosted by the Benedictine University Campus Ministry and its Safe Space program. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Benedictine University, a "Catholic" university outside of Chicago, Illinois, is hosting a "Trans Day of Remembrance" across campus to highlight "anti-trans violence."Hey @BenU1887, where is your day to remember the Christian children who were gunned down by trans terrorists? pic.twitter.com/wwQQvGJNaI Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 19, 2025Benedictine University has observed TDOR anually since 2018. In its statement, the university said the annual observance demonstrates its enduring commitment to the principles that everyone deserves respect, love, safety, and justice.Every life deserves profound reverence, the university stated, regarding the event. Every life lost deserves to be remembered. When we witness suffering, injustice, and violence, its our duty to love. This is what our University stands for.In the days after the Libs of TikTok post, some small and local news sites ran stories based on outrage, complaining about the Catholic universitys recognition of TDOR and including the universitys statement. However, yesterday nearly two weeks after the event took place Fox News picked up the story and gave it more national attention. Fox News noted that the university has a Office of Belonging and quoted the schools site about its goals to help faculty/staff develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to create safe spaces at BenU and make our campus more welcoming and inclusive to LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.The Fox News article also noted the universitys Safe Space program. Commenters on X and on Fox News social media accounts made general anti-DEI and anti-woke comments about the university and its TDOR event. The universitys Safe Space page stated, We work to be a community characterized by the highest standards of empathy and opposition to all forms of hatred. We welcome LGBTQ+ persons with sincerity of heart and generosity. The page also highlighted the gender-neutral bathroom options for the school and how to access those facilities, as well as a list of teachers and staff who had signed up to be Safe Space Ally. However, despite originally doubling down on their support for the LGBTQ+ and specifically the trans community, the university has seemingly removed its pages for its Office of Belonging and Safe Space program. The university has also removed links for information on the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (Campus Center) and the universitys land acknowledgement.While it has become a growing practice for universities to tone down or remove their DEI pages and LGBTQ+ support programs under the second Trump administration, this is notable for the shift in support, especially since the shift immediately followed attention from Fox News.The universitys removal of its aforementioned webpages seems incompatible with the end of its original statement: We remain committed to being a community where all feel safe, respected, and welcomed, and where we can come together in prayer, especially in moments of sorrow.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Irish comedian Graham Linehan has his next project lined up a ChatGPT video game about punishing transgender lesbians.Linehan once a beloved funnyman, actor, and writer in the U.K., known for creating the BAFTA award-winning shows Father Ted and The IT Crowd has more recently taken the J.K. Rowling route of dedicating his life to anti-trans causes. In 2023, he said that combating trans activism had "consumed his life," cost him jobs, and ended his marriage. Nearly three years later, he's still just as dedicated.In a new Observer profile, titled "Graham Linehan won't shut up," journalist Andrew Hankinson interviews Linehan. He has a hard time getting him to talk about anything other than trans issues.At one point, Linehan confirms comments he made on a recent podcast where he said if he saw that the pilot of a plane was trans, he wouldn't fly on it due to "a high suicide tendency among trans-identified people.""No one who thinks they're a different sex should be flying a passenger plane," he says.In perhaps the most bizarre part of the interview, Linehan tells Hankinson that he's working on a trans lesbian role-playing game in ChatGPT.Linehan tells Hankinson that he's been working on a "hidden role deduction game" in the AI chatbot with the following prompt: "You are five blind lesbian adventurers out for a good night out. Slaying dragons and whatnot. But one of your number is a hulking great troll pretending to be a woman.""Find the troll lesbian and then devise an amusing punishment without giving him an erection," the prompt concludes.Linehan was recently in court over charges that he harassed a teenage trans activist on social media and damaged her phone. He was found not guilty of harassment but guilty of criminal damage to the phone. Linehan says he will appeal the guilty charge.

A transgender woman and National Guard employee is suing the Trump administration for its discriminatory bathroom policy that has significantly affected her quality of life while at work.LeAnne Withrow served in the Illinois National Guard for 13 years and is now a civilian employee in the State Family Programs Office. Until Donald Trumps January executive order denying all federal recognition of trans people, Withrow had never had a problem using womens restrooms at work. Now, she barely eats or drinks all day to avoid having to use the facilities. Related University punishes trans educator for discrimination after student calls her demonic Withrow told Advocate that she often skips both breakfast and lunch and avoids water as much as possible, surviving her work days on a single granola bar or a spoonful of peanut butter. While there is a single-user restroom in the building where she works, many of the other buildings she visits on a regular basis do not have one. I know that I have to operate within the bounds of the policies as they currently exist, and I intend to do my job well and fully. And so, in order to do that, Im making that sacrifice, she said. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today After nothing came of filing complaints with both the Army National Guard Bureau Equal Opportunity Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Withrow decided to sue the Trump administration.She filed a class action lawsuit in November, arguing that the trans bathroom ban violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, based on the Supreme Courts 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. The ruling decided that sex discrimination includes discrimination against LGBTQ+ identities. Its a question of human dignity, its a question of equal treatment under the law, and I was not raised to back down from either of those things, she told Advocate.Withrow truly believes in military service. She joined because she truly wanted to give back to the United States and to my community. I always wanted to serve, and it was the privilege of a lifetime to be able to serve in the National Guard for 13 years and do the things that I got to do there, meet the people that I met. But really, it was about service to others, which I think is an important thing for all of us to keep in mind and something we should dedicate a little bit of our time to every day, she said. Even though recruiters told her she could be an astronaut based on her 99th percentile aptitude test results, she began her career as a cook to focus on serving others. She ultimately became a staff sergeant and chief public affairs officer.Withrow came out as trans during the Obama Administration, after then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter ended the ban on openly serving in the military as trans. She was grandfathered in during Trumps first-term military ban, and now that she is a civilian employee, the current ban does not apply to her. After initially introducing a trans military ban during his first presidential term which the Biden administration then overturned the president signed an executive order in January called Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, which banned trans people from serving in the military. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethissued a memoenforcing the ban and halting gender-affirming care for service members and their families. While the order was contested in the courts, inMay the Supreme Court ruled in May that it could go into effect, and trans troops were given a deadline in June to self-identify for voluntary separation.In January, the administrationordered a shutdown of all federal programs that promote or reflect gender ideology. A cited example of that so-called ideology was allowing trans people to use the facilities that correspond to their genders, effectively banning trans people from using the bathroom on federal property.The directive followed and built on Trumps Day Oneexecutive orderto make it the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female and take all necessary steps, as permitted by law, to end the Federal funding of gender ideology. Winthrow said having to spend time thinking about bathroom strategies takes away from the important work she does every day. I think that the Family Programs Office has an incredibly important task, and thats taking care of soldiers and their families and veterans, and that mission is the thing I would like to be focusing all my attention on, she said.So its frustrating to realize that I have to logistically plan out which bathroom am I going to be allowed to use today, where Im at, at a given time, instead of just focusing on that mission, she added. She said she also feels added pressure to overperform so that no one can say trans people are not built for the work.Despite the challenge of going to court, Withrow feels optimistic because she believes were doing the right thing. I sort of, in the back of my mind, always believe that the good guy is going to win, she said. And I think were the good guy in this. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Like a turtle on its back, Pete Hegseth is floundering.On Friday, while Americans celebrated the long Thanksgiving Day weekend, the Pentagon chief celebrated his reported no quarter order to kill survivors of the first of dozens of strikes on purported Venezuelan drug boats with a meme on social media depicting the childrens book character, Franklin the Turtle, hanging from a helicopter and firing on suspected drug runners. Related Pete Hegseth shredded over pathetic speech to military leaders: Most loser sh*t I have ever seen Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today For your Christmas wish list, Hegseth wrote from his personal X account.For your Christmas wish list pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 1, 2025The post was universally criticized.A civilized people respect life given by God and dont treat lightly taking of life no matter how vile that life was used, The New York Times quoted one X user in reply. That meme was far from Christian. It was bloodlust.Even President Trump has distanced himself from his so-called Secretary of War, professing 100% support for the former Fox News talking head while disagreeing with his reported order to kill everybody on the fast boat off the Venezuelan coast. Pete said he did not order the death of those two men, the president said on Sunday of the survivors of the first strike, while adding, I wouldnt have wanted that. Not a second strike.Hegseth lashed out at the media over the report from the Washington Post last week that he ordered the killing, accusing the fake news of delivering more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.Congress members and experts in the laws of war say the order amounted to murder.The administration was scrambling on Monday to contain the fallout and insulate Trump from Hegseths blunder. They showed little success.Even perpetually smug 28-year-old White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was back on her heels, if not on her back like Hegseth.Uncharacteristically stumbling over her words, Leavitt read straight from a script describing the administrations official position.The strike conducted on September 2 was conducted in self-defense to protect Americans in vital United States interests, the secretary blurted from the prepared text.But the criticism of Hegseth continues to mount.Pete Hegseth is incompetent, reckless, and a threat to our national security, posted out U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT). He needs to go. Pete Hegseth is incompetent, reckless, and a threat to our national security. He needs to go. https://t.co/lxb1Vp0Jhm Rep. Becca Balint (@RepBeccaB) December 1, 2025Balint and other members of the congressional Equality Caucus have watched with dismay and outrage as Hegseth carried out President Trumps latest ban on transgender service members, dismantled DEI in the military, banned LGBTQ+ content from libraries under his purview, and even stripped a Navy ship of its name honoring veteran Harvey Milk.A leaked Signal chat in April revealed Hegseth inadvertently shared classified plans for an airstrike in Yemen with the editor of Atlantic Monthly.The latest accusation from defense officials under Hegseths command came just days after six former members of the military currently serving in Congress, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), posted a video on social media reminding officers and troops they are duty-bound not to follow illegal orders from their leaders, reaching all the way up the chain of command to Hegseth and Trump.The congressmembers chief concern was the administration pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens in illegal immigration sweeps and the occupation of Washington, DC, and other Democrat-run cities. It also foreshadowed the current allegations against Hegseth.Americans trust their military, but that trust is under threat, they said. Hegseth and Trump both lashed out at the members, with Trump calling their behavior seditious.Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand, he posted to his Truth Social platform. An example MUST BE SET.Hegseth described the group of vets as the Seditious Six and called for Kellys court-martial, as he threatened service members who may disobey an illegal command.Orders are presumed to be lawful, Hegseth claimed. What he termed personal philosophy does not excuse disobedience.Out Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) didnt have to tie himself in knots to arrive at his description of Hegseth: How about the Seriously Stupid Secretary or the Sack-of-Sh*t Secretary? Pocan asked in a post in reply to Hegseths outburst.This is deeply embarrassing for our country to have a 34 time felon as Commander-In-Chief and a Fox talking head of a cabinet secretary. Living Idiocracy 2. How about the Seriously Stupid Secretary or the Sack-of-Shit Secretary?This is deeply embarrassing for our country to have a 34 time felon as Commander-In-Chief and a Fox taking head of a cabinet secretary.Living Idiocracy 2. https://t.co/YWPWHwAvAR Mark Pocan (@MarkPocan) November 25, 2025The latest accusations against the former Fox & Friends Weekend host earned the head of the renamed Department of War a new moniker from Jimmy Kimmel, one of Hegseths most enthusiastic critics: Secretary of War Crimes.We have killed more than 80 people in these little boats already, Kimmel said.https://t.co/02tZvyo0HU The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 2, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Heated Rivalry actors Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) have had an incredible person by their side while navigating the press cycle of this new Crave original series streaming on HBO Max for U.S. fans: The showrunner of the TV series himself, Jacob Tierney, who created this TV adaptation based on Rachel Reid's series of Game Changers novels, and has been shutting down certain questions and speculations about the actors' sexualities outside of the characters they're playing.While Williams and Storrie have had plenty of fun in recent interviews, a few others have been a bit harder to navigate as they involved personal topics like sex, sexual orientations, and the concept of straight-identifying actors playing queer roles overall.It's been even trickier for the two lead actors of Heated Rivalry considering the very sexual relationship between Shane and Ilya. Thankfully, Tierney was ready and willing to shield the actors from questions that were perhaps a bit inappropriate, or just more invasive than the average.Most notably, Tierney has gone viral for intervening on a question asked to Storrie about whether he felt the "need to talk about your personal lives in relation to this project" given that an over-arching theme in Heated Rivalry is being closeted and facing the consequences of hiding who you really are. Connor Storrie, Jacob Tierney, Hudson Williams in a promo interview video on Crave's YouTube channel.YouTube (@CraveCanada)Tierney, seemingly without missing a beat, started answering the question addressed to Storrie. "I'll answer this for them. I don't think there's any reason to get into that stuff," he told Xtra. "I'll tell you something about the casting of both of these roles. You can't ask questions like that when you're casting, right? It's actually against the law. So what you have to gauge is somebody's enthusiasm and willingness to do the work."The Heated Rivalry showrunner continued, "And that's what's so impressive about both of these guys, they came into this being like, 'Yeah, we're here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic and to be as real as possible.' And they fucking hit it out of the park." See on Instagram That response has received a flood of positive reactions from fans who believe that speculating over actors' sexual orientations just because they're playing queer characters is an invasion of privacy and puts pressure on them to come out before they feel ready, or generally comment on personal matters.Perhaps the biggest example in the last few years came from Heartstopper star Kit Connor, who came out in October 2022 with an X post (then tweet) that reads, "Back for a minute. I'm bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye."As a result, Tierney has received tons of praise for standing up on behalf of Williams and Storrie not only as the showrunner of Heated Rivalry, but also as an out gay man himself who understands how tricky and invasive these questions can be.X user @biconbuckley wrote, "Jacob fielding a question about actor's sexualities in casting gay roles that was aimed at Connor oh my God Jacob Tierney protecting your actors I fucking love you." (@) Another X user, @TunisCarla, wrote:"I'm ngl it rly bothers me that we still make this a conversation after years of watching what happens to actors who're accused of queerbaiting. I don't think it should be a conflict at all, and I genuinely never want to see it come up in another interview? It's getting stupid atp." (@) As other X users tried to start a speculation of their own, Heated Rivalry fans stood their ground and some of them even responded using Tierney's interview answer."Ffs. This was these actors' jobs," @BevWrayGreen replied to a speculative X post. "Were they believable? Delivered a great performance? That is ALL we need to care about. This was Jacob Tierneys response to such a question being asked in an interview." (@) "The concept of being upset over someone's sexuality," @ilyarozanovv wrote on X. (@) X user @ulises_v714 quote-posted, "Let's not be weird now and also this is what the director said about that." (@) Heated Rivalry drops new episodes every Friday on HBO Max.

Just inside the entrance of New Yorks new refuge for transgender and queer people an initiative from the Ali Forney Center (AFC), an organization devoted to housing queer and trans youth a mantle honoring one of the groups biggest supporters bears the words travesti, puta, bendita (transvestite, whore, and blessed).These were terms of power for Cecilia Gentili, the late trans and queer rights legend, who died of a fentanyl-laced drug overdose in 2024. Related Catholic archdiocese condemns funeral for trans woman held in its cathedral The trans Argentine American artist and community organizer moved to New York in 2003, where she fought for the decriminalization of sex work, pushed the passage of New York States Gender Non-Discrimination Act, and raised her profile nationally on the FX series Pose.She also worked for years with the Ali Forney Center on the project that now bears her name: Casa Cecilia. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Located in a century-old mansion on 153rd Street in Harlem, Casa Cecilia provides 20 unhoused queer and trans people at a time with six months of shelter and care in a supportive LGBTQ+-centered setting.Its almost poetic that this house resembles so much of Gentilis life and so much of what she lived for that well be able to honor her legacy and pay tribute to her in this way, Alexander Roque, president and executive director of AFC, told the Huffington Post.Many unhoused individuals, because of a lack of shelter, will spend their nights awake for safety and their days in and out of support and care, he said. Casa Cecilia offers a reprieve from life on the streets, and a bridge to a better life for its residents. Its part of the Ali Forney Centers ambitious program for supporting at-risk community members, in honor of both Gentili and the centers namesake, Ali Forney, a gender-nonconforming activist known for aggressively advocating for the investigation of murders of other homeless queer youth theyd befriended.Forney was murdered when they were just 22 years old.Casa Cecilia, the second shelter established by the center, is all the more remarkable for opening as the government has slashed funding for similar organizations.AFC cobbled Casa Cecilias budget together from earlier public grants and private donations from foundations, individuals, and corporations. The lack of government support in Donald Trumps second term is reminiscent of earlier funding struggles for the queer community, said AFCs Roque.We cared for ourselves at a time when the government turned its back on us during the AIDS crisis, we built pathways, we built health care systems, and we defined chosen family, he said.At Casa Cecilias official ribbon-cutting ceremony in October, staff and supporters gathered on the brownstone mansions steps to celebrate the opening and Gentilis legacy, chanting Cecilia! Cecilia! Cecilia! It was reminiscent of the activists funeral at St. Patricks Cathedral in Manhattan in 2024, where an overflow crowd of 1,400 trans and queer people celebrated Gentilis exuberantly in the aisles.The activists enthusiasm scandalized the Catholic hierarchy, with one church official calling for an exorcism of the church. The officials reaction, and the chants during the opening of the Casa Cecilia, would have likely delighted Gentili herself.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.