Heartstopper Forever updates, plus a new queer Christmas movie, a new queer CW Harlequin movie, that Heated Rivalry needledrop, and more. The post Alice Oseman Gifts Us a Wee Heartstopper Forever Update for Christmas appeared first on Autostraddle.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has identified his first target following his declaration earlier this month to cut off Medicaid and Medicare funding to any hospital that provides health care to trans youth. Last Friday in a social media post, HHS announced that it was referring Seattle Childrens Hospital for investigation for providing gender-affirming care to trans youth. The post said that the investigation was warranted for failure to meet professional recognized standards of health care as according to Secretary Kennedys declaration that sex-rejecting procedures for children and adolescents are neither safe nor effective as a treatment modality for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related disorders in minors.Of course, Kennedys declaration was simply thata declaration with no basis in science. Medical societies have rejected Kennedys anti-science stance, which has led Kennedy to cut off money for them as well. Kennedys declaration, made on Dec. 18, is a nuclear option to pressure hospitals to drop care for trans youth. Hospitals rely upon federal payments for treatment of Medicare and Medicaid patients. Without that money, hospitals, which are already struggling with difficult finances, will lose millions of dollars. Federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid accounts for nearly 45% of all spending on hospital care, according to KFF, the nonprofit health policy research group.Seattle Childrens, one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the U.S., has long been a target of the far-right for its care of trans youth. Two years ago, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a subpoena demanding records pertaining to any Texas patients who received gender-affirming care at the hospital. He eventually dropped the subpoena. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today However, Trumps Department of Justice tried to use the same tactic earlier this year, seeking personal information about patients from providers treating trans youth. That subpoena was eventually quashed. (Just last week, a federal judge in Pennsylvania rejected another DOJ attempt to get the personal health information of trans youth.)Seattle Childrens did not immediately respond to the threat from HHS. Releasing the information on the day after Christmas looked like an attempt to bury the news. However, conservative outlets, such as the National Review and the Washington Examiner, were quick to pick up on the story, characterizing trans health care as genital mutilation. Kennedys declaration is already facing a legal challenge from 19 states. However, there is no denying the chilling effect that the ongoing threats from the Trump administration has had on access to health care for trans youth. More than 20 hospitals across the U.S. have ended or restricted care for trans youth in the face of pressure from the Trump administration. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

There's beauty in sharing a friendship with an animal that needs to be earned.The post How I Grieved for a Cat Over Long Distance appeared first on Autostraddle.

Proud transphobe Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is running for governor of South Carolina on a campaign that focuses heavily on her opposition to trans rights. Now shes claiming that the person who shot rightwing political operative Charlie Kirk who has not been identified or apprehended is transgender, using an anti-trans slur to describe this person.She then claimed that the shooting made her afraid for her life due to her anti-trans advocacy. Related Nancy Mace starts screaming in rage on House floor when Democrat talked about gender affirming care It sounds like the shooter was a tr***y, Mace told reporters yesterday. Or pro-tr***y.And just because I wanna protect women that Im worried about getting murdered? Are you f**king kidding me? she continued. This is outta control and enough is enough. 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 Im gonna be louder than Ive ever been until this s**t stops. Nancy Mace today: It sounds like the shooter was a tranny, or pro-tranny.Law enforcement tonight: We have idea who the shooter is. pic.twitter.com/bJptJvnJmT Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 12, 2025On Wednesday, Turning Point America founder Charlie Kirk was shot to death at a public speaking event at Utah Valley University in Provo. Kirk was a prominent rightwing activist and podcaster known for his extreme statements, like that Jewish people control not just the colleges; its the nonprofits, its the movies, its Hollywood, its all of it, that If I see a Black pilot, Im going to be like, boy, I hope hes qualified, and that being gay is an error that needs to be correct[ed]. Just before his death, he was embroiled in controversy for saying that Taylor Swift to submit to her future husband because You are not in charge.Conservatives have, for the past several years, been blaming gun violence tragedies on transgender people, generally before any facts about such shootings are known and sometimes even after its known that the shooters were not transgender. In fact, Kirk died while debating how much trans people should be blamed for mass shootings despite the fact that the vast majority are perpetrated by cisgender men. A report in the conservative Wall Street Journal yesterday which the newspaper cast doubt on in a later article said that the shooters bullets or weapon had expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology engraved on them. That online rumor was started by rightwing podcast host Steven Crowder, who said he had obtained a leaked report from an ATF official. While its unclear what it even means for trans ideology to be engraved on bullets or a weapon, this may have been what Mace was referring to. A New York Times report said that another law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation said that Crowders report had not been verified and didnt correspond to other information gathered in the investigation.Mace has a history of using anti-trans slurson social media, atcampaign events, andat the Capitol.No suspect has been arrested in the shooting, but law enforcement officials have released images of a person of interest in the case.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives, and researchers at the University of Michigan have found that trans and nonbinary people are less likely to view AI favorably. According to another study from earlier this year, there might be a good reason for that.In our study, we found that nonbinary and transgender people are significantly more likely to view AI negatively than cisgender people, Associate Professor Oliver Haimson, lead author of the UMich paper and author of Trans Technologies, told LGBTQ Nation. With AI becoming so pervasive in everyday life, its important to understand that not everyone wants to use it which is troubling because they are often required to use AI (such as in healthcare and employment contexts) without meaningful consent. Related Judge accuses transphobic lawyers of submitting legal briefs filled with AI errors The team at UMich surveyed over 700 participants that included a nationally representative sample combined with an intentional oversample of certain minorities. They then asked questions about their attitudes towards AI, including how they viewed the technology, whether they thought it would improve their lives, and whether they would use it themselves.In their paper, the researchers note that the distaste for AI from trans people isnt without merit and is not based on a wider distrust of institutional society. Rather, it draws from a history of issues with the technology. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today AI harm toward trans and nonbinary people has been demonstrated in technologies including facial recognition algorithms in law enforcement and surveillance, algorithmic content moderation, and stereotypical and offensive imagery of trans and nonbinary people produced by generative AI systems, the researchers say. AI harm experienced by gender minorities can be physical, psychological, social, and economic, resulting in algorithmic misgendering and violations of privacy and consent.AI is not the impartial omniscient being some would like to believe it is. It is a series of algorithms created by humans. Those humans have biases, and the AI models inevitably inherit some of those biases. In their paper,The Ethics of AI at the Intersection of transgender identity and Neurodivergence, Max Parks found that historical biases against both the trans and neurodivergent communities were not only inherited by AI models, but amplified.Parks provides a medical example to highlight the problem. Because medical professionals labeled [trans and nonbinary people] as deviant for decades, the underlying data in medical records and public datasets still reflect those biases. Understanding these connected histories helps explain why current AI systems often perpetuate similar patterns of exclusion and normalization at the intersection of transgender and neurodivergent identities.Another example Parks notes is that facial recognition technologies often rely on datasets built around binary gender categories, leading to misclassification or exclusion of transgender and nonbinary individuals These misclassifications have direct repercussions for algorithmic design. AI has been trained on a history of data that has often only recognized cis binary genders. It has a lot to learn about the world, but doing so is more difficult with the policies of the current administration, like the two sexes executive order, which decreed that only cis binary genders exist. While obviously not true, it does mean only cis binary genders can be input on government forms. The president also signed a recent order that blocks states from regulating AI.That order caused concern for Haimson, who said if enforced, it essentially means that AI will not be regulated in the US, at least for the next few years.All of this is frustrating for those who see the benefits AI could have if these roadblocks werent in place. Parks points out that it holds promise for improving healthcare access and outcomes for transgender and neurodivergent communities when properly designed and implemented. For instance, AI-driven telehealth platforms have shown potential in increasing access to gender-affirming care, particularly in rural or underserved areas. Community health workers can use AI-enabled tools to locate trans-friendly providers by analyzing patient feedback data, thus reducing the documented barriers that transgender individuals face in finding affirming care. Similarly, AI-based voice training technologies, which help trans individuals align vocal presentation with gender identity, are being explored for broader, community-led implementations. These community-informed approaches demonstrate the potential for AI to become a proactive ally rather than an instrument of marginalization.Parks also notes a significant barrier to reaching that point. To succeed, developers must actively incorporate trans and neurodivergent perspectives in the design and training phases, avoiding the cisnormative or neurotypical biases that can plague these technologies. But even attempts to fix these issues might cause problems under the current administration: Efforts to gather more data on transgender and neurodivergent populations, while well-intentioned, can inadvertently expose these groups to heightened vulnerability, Parks said. Despite the current flaws in AI technology, it is still being used for therapy by trans people who cant find a viable real-world therapist. Haimson said the popularity of using AI for therapy is a response to the lack of access to mental healthcare services that so many people face. While people may find AI therapists helpful, its important to keep in mind that AI chatbots can put people at risk because they do not have the education and certification to be able to ethically provide mental healthcare, he added. Further, they are mostly unregulated and cannot be held accountable if something goes wrong. For trans people, who often need quality mental healthcare providers to help them navigate gender exploration and instances of anti-trans discrimination and harassment, AI-based mental healthcare can be especially risky. We need to fix the real problem here, which is a scarcity of mental healthcare providers and lack of access for those who need it most.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karcsony, says hes facing charges for defying authoritarian leader Viktor Orbns ban on Pride marches in Hungary.The police concluded their investigation against me in connection with the Budapest Pride march in June with a recommendation to press charges, he said in a video posted to Facebook. They accuse me of violating the [new law on] freedom of assembly, which is completely absurd. Related Hundreds of thousands turn out for Budapest Pride after authoritarian government banned pride Karcsony approved the Pride event and took to the streets with hundreds of thousands of marchers in defiance of the ban.Celebrants anointed Orbn King of European Pride. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In April, Hungarys Parliament passed the Assembly Act, a constitutional amendment that codifies earlier law banning events that involve a depiction or promotion of homosexuality, together with government recognition of only two sexes, male and female.Like his authoritarian ally Vladimir Putin in Russia, Orbn has engaged in a politically motivated campaign against the degenerate West and institutedgay propaganda lawsprohibiting the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors. Opponents of Orbns nationalist Fidesz party say the prime minister is using his crusade against the LGBTQ+ community as a wedge issue in upcoming national elections, slated for April, with Karcsonys prosecution as just the latest example. The mayor describes it as political payback.Fidesz trails the challenger, Tisza, by 7 points among decided voters in a November poll, Politico reports. That gap narrowed by three points from the previous month.After Karcsony rejected the governments edict and allowed the rally to proceed, several EU politiciansjoined the eventto show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, as well as their displeasure with Orbn for flouting EU human rights protections.The mayor said he was questioned by state police in August. I became a suspect, and if that is the price we have to pay in this country for standing up for our own freedom and that of others, then I am proud of it, Karcsonyposted to Facebook at the time.In a system where the law protects power rather than people, in this system that stifles free communities, it was inevitable that sooner or later, as the mayor of a free city, they would take criminal action against me, Karcsony said in the video sharing news of his pending prosecution.I am proud that I took every political risk for the sake of my citys freedom, and I stand proudly before the court to defend my own freedom and that of my city.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10 winner Ginger Minj appeared on The Kelly Mantle Show on Dec. 24 and discussed how she didn't feel "totally supported" by her costars. Specifically, the self-proclaimed "Glamour Toad" argued that the queens acted differently toward her while filming the first-ever Tournament of All Stars but seemingly turned on her after the season premiered on Paramount+.Those remarks were not well received by other queens who competed on All Stars 10, turning this Drag Race sisterhood into an all-out drag version of "Sistergeddon" in the snap of a finger.Explore this new RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10 drama involving Ginger Minj below. The season, otherwise known as the Tournament of All Stars, is available for streaming on Paramount+.A fan asks Ginger Minj why her stories about getting the call for All Stars 10 are so different. (@) This year is coming to an end with another wave of chaos and drama surrounding Ginger Minj, her All Stars 10 costars, and overall Drag Race fans.The gags and goops started with X user @meg_velour, who shared clips from two different interviews in which Ginger explained when and how she received the call to compete on All Stars 10. The clips, shared as a side-by-side comparison under the X post, underscored how different the two stories were.The X user's post about these potential inconsistencies has reached more than 1.6 million views as of this writing.In a pre-season interview, Ginger Minj says she was working on a cruise with Denali when she got the call for All Stars 10.The first clip was taken from a pre-season interview hosted by Joey Nolfi for Entertainment Weekly featuring the entire All Stars 10 cast of queens. In it, Ginger told the story of getting the call to compete on All Stars 10 while working on a cruise with Denali (who also competed in that season under the same bracket as the eventual crowned winner).Ginger recalled, "The funniest thing was When Denali and I got the call to do it, we were working a cruise together. So both of us at the show that night were just like In our head, in our own world. And I was like, 'Girl, you OK?' And she goes, 'Yeah, are you OK?' And I said, 'Yes, but how OK?' And she said, 'I'm really OK.' So then we went and Smoked and talked about some things."In a recent interview, Ginger Minj mentions recovering from an extended stay at the hospital when she got the call for All Stars 10.See on InstagramThe second clip was taken from the recent interview on The Kelly Mantle Show in which Ginger told a very different story."Going into All Stars 10, I had been in the hospital for a long time. I was really sick," Ginger told Kelly Mantle. "I got COVID, which turned into pneumonia. I was at my heaviest weight. I was, like, between 350, 360. And I'm 5 foot, 3 and a half."The All Stars 10 winner continued, "I, literally, as wide as I was tall. A heavy chain smoker. I was drinking a lot at the time [now,] I've been sober for three years; still smoking, but not quite as much And I've managed to lose 200 pounds this year, which, it wasn't ever for the goal of getting thinner I was just in that hospital and I had I really thought I was going to die."@mantlekelly9"I Was Dying.. The RuPaul Called" #kellymantle #gingerminj #podcast #dragqueen #fyp"I didn't know if there was anything else for me," Ginger went on. "So as I was, like, wallowing in my self-pity, just kind of lying there day after day, just waiting for whatever worse to happen was going to happen, I got the phone call to come back."Kelly reacted, "That is wild. It would happen just Just out of the blue!""Always out of the blue," Ginger agreed. "And I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be back."In The Kelly Mantle show interview, Ginger Minj recalls not feeling 'totally supported' by the queens except for two of them.Elsewhere on The Kelly Mantle Show interview, Ginger reflected on her four different times competing on Drag Race, declared that All Stars 6 was her favorite season to compete in, and described not feel "totally supported" by her All Stars 10 costars, which she felt was emotionally rough to deal with.Ginger also insinuated that certain queens were very nice to her while filming All Stars 10 but completely turned things around as the actual season started airing. "They realized they could get more traction by 'trashing Ginger' on social media," the Tournament of All Stars champion theorized.According to Ginger, the only two All Stars 10 queens who consistently called or texted to make sure she was OK were Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Lydia B Kollins.Those remarks opened the floodgates of drama this time coming from more Drag Race queens than ever, including all five members of her Tournament of All Stars bracket: Daya Betty, Acid Betty, Denali, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, and Alyssa Hunter.Daya Betty to Ginger Minj: 'I call bullshit.' (@) Daya Betty responded to a clip from Ginger Minj on The Kelly Mantle Show with an X post that read:"I call bullshit @TheGingerMinj. As if multiple girls from the cast didn't check in on you. & yes. I def stopped reaching out. Why? Because EVERY conversation that was had always ended up ONLY being about you"Daya added, "Now I don't fault you for this, because I'm a bitch that likes to talk about myself too. I'll be the first to admit. But don't try to act like no one had ur back. I think people just started to get tired of your pity party."Jorgeous reactivates X account to support Daya Betty. (@) Jorgeous, who lip synced for the crown against Ginger Minj as the top 2 queens of the entire season, had deactivated her X account for a while. However, as this drama came to the surface, Jorgeous returned to the social network to defend her season 14 sister Daya Betty."You Literally Had Her Back," the Pickled Poet herself declared.Plane Jane replies to Jorgeous's return to X with a post also interpreted to be about Ginger Minj. (@) Drag Race season 16 finalist Plane Jane also landed in the middle of this chaos with a reply to Jorgeous's tweet. Given that this All Stars 10 discourse was all about one queen in particular, Plane's X post was also interpreted to be about Ginger Minj.Jorgeous's "You Literally Had Her Back" got a response from Plane that read, "Back when it was bigger too."Bosco shares cryptic Instagram Story perceived as a response to the Ginger Minj discourse.Bosco didn't include any direct names to give fans some context. However, given her close relationship with season 14 and All Stars 10 costar Daya Betty, Drag Race fans are willing to bet that this is absolutely her own response to the drama with Ginger Minj."I dunno if you'll ever get a part on Broadway but I admire your dedication to playing the victim," Bosco wrote in an Instagram Story.Aja to Ginger Minj: 'Nobody was checking in on you because you wasn't checking in on anybody!' from rupaulsdragraceAja, another AS10 competitor, was in the middle of a live-stream when this new discourse about Ginger Minj first started, which meant that her responses to the drama came at the same time as she caught up with everything that was happening."Yeah, I didn't call that bitch. I don't give a fuck. Bitch, I don't know you like that! Fuck I look like calling you?" Aja said, addressing Ginger, in a clip from the live-stream. "Like, so you're upset 'cause people wasn't calling you to check in on you? Girl, who the fuck checked in on me? Your bitch ass didn't check up on me! So you think Be real. Be real. Be real. Nobody was checking in on you because you wasn't checking in on anybody!" (@) "No shade, I like Ginger. I'm just honest about how I feel," Aja explained in another clip from the same live-stream. "I like Ginger. Ginger's cool She's cool or whatever. She's quiet, we don't really have much to say."Aja added, "She's still the Puerto Rican princess to me, but like, I don't think anybody was going to sit there and stick their nose up her ass. Like, no shade. But you know what? Shout out to you. I hope you get the reactions you wanted and you needed. I don't really have shit to say, girl. I'm a whole person."Aja subsequently clarifies her remarks from that live-stream. (@) After the live-stream reactions went viral, Aja shared a little bit of context with an X post that read:"Just to clarify real quick, I was also dealing with a lot during filming, and the people who are actually close to me did check in on me. I was not expecting a bunch of people to reach out, because that would have been unrealistic. The clip that's going around is from an Instagram Live where I was literally finding out what was going on through the comments while I was live."I was just being honest about how I felt in that moment. I still have not seen the interview, and I do not plan to. It does not really interest me [sobbing emoji]. For me personally, it was not that serious. I do understand that some people may feel a way or were caught off guard by the statement, which is valid. At the same time, I do think it is kind of wild to say nobody checked in when people actually did."Cynthia Lee Fontaine to Ginger Minj: 'This is not winner behavior.'You know the girls are girling fiercely and the drama is getting a bit cuckoo crazy when even the Cucu herself, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, enters the chat to call out a fellow Drag Race sister. But that is what happened."Ginger: I have the opportunity to see the interview at The Kelly Mantle Show. From all the inconsistencies and inaccuracies you talk on this interview, the one that got my attention was when you said that a lot of contestants of the season stop talking to you and when the cmaras were on, they were talking to you but, off camera, the story was 'different.'"It seems you totally forgot ALL THE TEXT messages I sent you this year giving you encouragement and even support!!!! That's the truth and I have evidence. Because the one who decided to isolate from the rest of the cast was YOU. RuPaul granted you with the crown, this is not the time for lies and 'conspiracy theories.' Because you are looking to portrait a victim character is not accurate, to be likable or have visibility in front of the fans. This is not a winner behavior."In the other Instagram Stories in this series of posts, Cynthia claimed that Ginger is sharing "lies" and "harming others" with her words. Cucu also made a Wicked: For Good reference in the Instagram Story, which has the Drag Race fans shaking in their boots."Also, using your position of power and privilege to spread lies, harming others with your words is VICIOUS and OUT OF THE PLACE. I wish you the best, but I thought for a moment you will be changing 'For Good' and that was not the case. Very disappointed. Please look for peace and stability. As a winner and drag artist, you should lead by looking for unity and respect for this artistry that has been under attack by the government, religious groups and conservatives. Have a good night and good life and do better!!!"Considered by many to be the ultimate Miss Congeniality of the entire RuPaul's Drag Race franchise, Cynthia took the time to remind fans that this is not the time to send "HATE to any of the Queens. That's not acceptable."Acid Betty shares Daya Betty's statement addressing Ginger Minj: 'Ditto.'AS10 competitor Acid Betty re-posted Acid Betty's Instagram story addressing Ginger Minj."Ditto [shrug emoji]," Acid Betty added.Irene the Alien's cryptic Instagram Stories.Irene the Alien, who also competed on All Stars 10 and is close to Bosco and Daya Betty, shared a cryptic Instagram Story that included a 2012 X post from RuPaul.RuPaul's X post, as re-shared by Irene, read: "Hard to remain patient with friends who focus solely on their own crucifixion. Get off The Cross, girl We could use the wood!"Yet, Irene suggested in a subsequent Instagram Story that she didn't re-share RuPaul's X post as a jab at Ginger claiming that it was about Christmas instead? OK, then!"Yall I was just posting a meme for Christmas, don't involve me in this [sobbing emoji]. I truly dgaf," Irene wrote.However, the only biblical reference in that original post was the word "crucifixion." To be clear, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is observed in April not in December, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.Denali shares the same 2012 RuPaul post.Denali hasn't yet shared any direct statement in reaction to this drama. However, the icy, spicy, and a little bit pricey queen whose phone should be ringing right now with offers for a role in Heated Rivalry season 2 did re-share RuPaul's X post from 2012 that Irene the Alien used in her Instagram Story.Alyssa Hunter chimes in on the Ginger Minj drama with just a few emojis. (@) Drag Race season 14 star and All Stars 10 competitor Alyssa Hunter didn't share much in response to the Minj of it all, but did re-share a @DragBasee post about the drama.Alyssa used the eyes emoji, popcorn emoji, and person bowing emoji to chime in.Xunami Muse to Ginger Minj: 'Control it Jengibre!' (@) Xunami Muse, Miss Congeniality twinner alongside Sapphira Cristl, also entered the chat."Control it Jengibre! [laughing emoji]," Xunami wrote.Ginger Minj replies to a fan's X post and explains why these two stories are different. (@) The original viral post shared by @meg_velour on X which included the side-by-side comparison between two interviews had a caption that read:"OK I'm genuinely not trying to call ginger a liar, but these are both stories about the All Stars 10 call [crying emojis] Am I missing something? Why are they different stories?"Ginger replied to the original post a few hours after it was live and gained traction on social media. "You get multiple calls," the Drag Race veteran explained. "One for interest and availability, a follow-up call, and then the final call that says you are on the show But none of you would know that." (@) Another fan challenged Ginger's answer on X, asking: "But you won't respond to Daya though.""I did via text [heart emoji]," Ginger replied.

Hello Out readers.Amid news that the superhot hockey romance Heated Rivalry continues to be one of the most popular shows on television and that a new season of the groundbreaking Japanese queer dating show The Boyfriend is coming, there's also some more serious news to discuss.Popular filmmaker Tyler Perry, known for television series like Tyler Perry's House of Payne, The Haves and the Have Nots, and The Oval, as well as his stage plays and films featuring the character Madea, is now facing a second allegation of sexual misconduct from an aspiring actor who worked with him.An actor named Mario Rodriguez, who played "Frat Guy No. 10" in 2016's Boo! A Madea Halloween is suing Perry for alleged "sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress."According to the lawsuit, Perry made unwanted sexual advances towards Rodriguez that included alleged acts of sexual assault and battery at Perry's Los Angeles home. Rodriguez is seeking $77 million in damages.In June, another actor, Derek Dixon, alleged that Perry used "his power and influence to molest, abuse, and sexually assault impressionable and vulnerable employees and actors who look to him for guidance and mentorship while pursuing their dreams."Dixon is seeking $260 million in his lawsuit.Perry's legal representatives have denied both accusations.Keep reading to find out all the best pop culture news.- Mey RudeHeated Rivalry season 2: Everything we know so farTyler Perry sued by another aspiring actor for alleged sexual assaultAll 14 sex scenes on Heated Rivalry, rankedHeated Rivalry episode 6: Book ending changes and new finale scenesHere are the best shows on and off-Broadway of 2025Ranking the highest-earning queens in 'RuPaul's Drag Race' herstoryA gay solo traveler got into the Christmas spirit, thanks to Frankfurt's men and markets'The Boyfriend' season 2: Meet the cast of single menHeated Rivalry: Sexy hockey players fans should be followingMan Crush MondayWe've got 33 hot pics of Orville Peck to remind you why he's our Man Crush Monday!Subscribe to The Advocate / Out Magazine for the holidays!For a limited time, start your subscription next year for just $6.00.

Lets be frank: Its been a tough year. But LGBTQ Nation has worked hard to highlight positive stories each and every week to remind us all of the strength, creativity, resilience, and love that keep our community surviving and thriving.To keep our communitys fire and passion burning bright into the new year, weve collected five of this years most engaging good news stories. Each one demonstrates how a little solidarity can make a big difference and even give us hope for a better world. Related The heartwarming community project bringing joy to hundreds of trans kids this holiday season Child of Eddie Murphy & Spice Girl Mel B comes out as a trans manMel B/Eddie Murphy | Shutterstock Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Angel Murphy Brown, the 18-year-old son of comedian Eddie Murphy and Scary Spice Girl Mel B, surprised and delighted us all by updatinghis Instagram bio to share he uses the pronoun, him. But it was even more heartwarming as both of Browns famous parents showed how simple it is to love and support your child, even in the limelight.The news was all the more surprising considering that Murphy began his career making homophobic jabs, anti-gay slurs, and jokes about AIDS; jokes that he hasalso apologizedmultiple times for. In 1996, he said that the misinformed 21-year-old making those jokes was far from the informed 35-year-old man he had become. 20 police raided a gay bar for a compliance check. Then the patrons did something surprising.Drag queen Indica performs on the sidewalk during a police raid at P Town Bar in Pittsburgh | ScreenshotPolice raided the Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ venue P Town Bar in the middle of a drag event. About 20 police officers in bulletproof vests showed up and kicked the patrons and performers out.But the patrons and performers refused to let the cops quash their spirit. Instead, they created their own public performance space.It was a great moment of resistance and queer solidarity, especially considering the numerous ways that conservative political forces have tried to denigrate drag performers and queer spaces. Our modern-day movement was born in bar spaces by queers who refused to be dragged down. That spirit endures, as this amazing tale demonstrates. Red state governor vetoes three anti-trans bills & tells GOP lawmakers to focus on real issues.Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks with Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger inside her offices at the State Capitol Building on Jan. 8, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesWhen Arizona state Republican lawmakers passed three bills to push transgender people out of public life, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D)vetoed themand then criticized the GOP legislators with some harsh words that were refreshingly frank.Hobbs may have felt especially empowered to criticize state Republicans because of her states unique political makeup. Though Arizona is largely considered a red state, its residents voted for a Democratic president by slim majorities in two of the last 10 national elections. As such, its a bit more liberal than some Republicans may think. Community rallied against MAGA councilman who tried to ban the Pride flag. The result was shocking.Aliso Viejo City Councilmember Mike Munzing | City of Aliso ViejoRight-wing city council member Mike Munzing, known among his opponents as MAGA Mike, lured a standing-room-only audience to council chambers one night with his proposal to ban all flags on municipal property in the city of Aliso Viejo. At the proposals introduction, the MAGA loyalist was joined by two other far-right members on the five-person council in support. But Munzing received quite a surprise by the end of the six-hour meeting. In fact, a famous football player joined in, and was one of many who helped give the city something to truly take pride in. Pete Buttigieg reveals his simple plan to fight the White Houses madness over the next 4 years.Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg | ShutterstockIf the current presidential administration is a raging dumpster fire, then former Secretary Pete Buttigieg is like cool water from a competently directed fire hose, seeking to quell the fiery politics of division with common-sense takes about how we can lift one another up as a united force for good.In this case, Secretary Pete succinctly explained how Democrats can present a winning message to counter the White House, without throwing marginalized people under the bus. Its a positive message that bears repeating, especially as the United States moves into the 2026 midterm elections and, hopefully, a brighter future for all our queer and allied siblings.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

During a time as turbulent as 2025, being able to spend time off my phone and with a poetry book has kept me afloat. Here are the queer poetry releases that shaped my year.The post The Best Queer Poetry Releases of 2025 appeared first on Autostraddle.

Over the holidays, Stranger Things dropped its last batch of episodes before the big series finale, and in the penultimate episode, Will Byers finally did the thing queer fans have been waiting literal years for: He came out.As the Hawkins crew was amassing in preparation for one last big battle against their Upside Down foe, Vecna, Will came to the realization that in order for him to finally be able to face the shows big bad, he needed to be honest with his friends and come out. So, with his friends and chosen family around him, Will finallyin an impassioned monologue, with hopeful tears racing down his facefaced his greatest fear and told them he is gay. (@) Thankfully, despite the shows 1980s setting, he was universally embraced by his loved ones. Thats right: he came out and it was met with love and acceptance.Surely the internet and the (non-homophobic portion of the) fandom was thrilled, right? Nope. As ever, social media erupted, and the response was divided.The naysayers were swift and unflinching in their responses. (@) (@) (@) (@) But not everyone who saw Will Byers pour his heart out was angry or disappointed. Many were moved by out actor Noah Schnapps performance and felt that the payoff met the moment (including this writer, who spoke with the actor about the scene and his hope that he did his queer audience justice). (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) Then there were, of course, those who just had fun with it. You remember fun, right? (@) (@) (@) Ultimately, whether or not this scene resonated with you, its undeniable that we and our stories deserve to be a part of the narrative for one of the biggest and buzziest shows of the year. That theres an appetite for queer love and sex across a wide audience is very evidentsee the near mass hysteria over Heated Rivalrybut that we can also be seen as disposable is just as clear; see the cancellations of Boots, Olympo, A League of Their Own, Willow, Mid-Century Modern, and the list goes on.The fact that Wills coming out was a pivotal, essential part of Stranger Things final arc, and that by living his truth he is unburdened and empowered, matters. Even if it wasnt perfect, Will matters. His coming out matters. Our stories matterand you do too.We cant wait to see what happens when the newly out and unburdened Will faces down Vecna once the series finale drops on December 31.

Heated Rivalry season one may be over, but the stars of the gay hockey romance series are far from done turning you on. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who play hockey rivals and eventual lovers Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander in the adaptation of Rachel Reids spicy book, may have been sans clothing a fair amount in the book, but now theyre showing off their smoking hot bodies in photoshoots.Storrie stripped down to just a white bikini bottom bathing suit to pose on the beach in a photoshoot for Cultured magazine that had the gays drooling over his six-pack abs and Adonis belt.And Williams stunned his fans with a new photoshoot for Numro Netherlands, where he showed off his own abs and defined chest while shirtless and sporting different oversized coats. Keep scrolling to see all of the sinfully hot photos the gays are going feral over! (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@)

Chappell Roan is walking back her comments in praise of the late French actress, singer, and sex symbol Brigitte Bardot.Lesbian singer Roan, known for hits like "Pink Pony Club," "Hot to Go," and "The Subway," praised the late French icon following Bardot's passing at 91 this week, saying Bardot inspired one of her popular songs. Now, Roan has apologized upon learning about Bardot's political views.While Bardot was known as a boundary-breaking sex symbol of the 50s and 60s, after she retired from acting, she became a fervent animal rights activist. But she also routinely spoke out against immigrants, Muslims, gay people, and victims of sexual harassment.In the story, Roan says, "She was my inspiration for red wine supernova. Rest in peace Ms. Bardot."Roan's hit song "Red Wine Supernova" opens with the lyric, "She was a Playboy, Brigitte Bardot / She showed me things I didn't know."Bardot has a long and unfortunate history of political speech that includes hatred toward marginalized people. In 2021, she was handed her sixth fine by French courts for "inciting racial hatred."After being fined twice before in 1997 and 1998, Bardot was fined 30,000 francs for inciting racial hatred based on a book she wrote that criticized Muslims' ritual killing of sheep and lamented that "my country, France, my homeland, my land is again invaded by an overpopulation of foreigners, especially Muslims."Bardot's fourth fine came in 2004 for another book she wrote in which she said she "opposed the Islamisation of France" and spoke out against racial mixing. The book "contained a section attacking what she called the mixing of genes and praised previous generations who, she said, had given their lives to push out invaders," according to the BBC.She received her sixth fine for inciting racial hatred in 2021, after saying the Hindu Tamil population of the French island La Reunion is "natives who still have savage genes" who are still using the "cannibalism of past centuries."Bardot's political opinions weren't limited to immigrants and Muslims.In her 2003 book, A Cry in the Silence, Bardot called gay people "cheap f*ggots or circus freaks" and said contemporary gays should be more like the LGBTQ+ community in the 50s and 60s who kept their sexuality a secret. She said current gay men "jiggle their bottoms, put their little fingers in the air, and with their little castrato voices moan about what those ghastly heteros put them through."In 2018, she criticized the #MeToo movement, saying "the vast majority" of women accusing men "are being hypocritical and ridiculous.""Lots of actresses try to play the tease with producers to get a role," she said. "And then so we will talk about them, they say there were harassed... I was never the victim of sexual harassment. And I found it charming when men told me I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside."Now, Roan has issued an apology in her Instagram stories.The new story reads, "Holy shit i did not know all that insane shit Ms. Bardot stood for obvs I do not condone this. very disappointing to learn."

A steamy Canadian television show centering on a gay hockey romance has swept the nation after launching on HBO Max, but one real-life gay hockey player doesnt think the show will make any actual professional players want to come out. In 2016, Brock McGillis became the first ever out gay professional hockey player. He recently told Pink News that he disagrees wholeheartedly with the idea that the show will help queer players feel more comfortable being open about their sexuality. Related Riley Gaines ties for 5th place in Outsports A-hole of the Year award It might help the people around [players] understand a little more if theyre dating somebody; hopefully, McGillis said, but he cautioned that the show is more likely to become the butt of jokes in locker rooms than an inspiration. Its probably more likely to have an adverse effect on a player coming out, he said. And I hate to be negative because I really enjoy the show. But I also dont believe that many hockey bros are going to watch it. And I dont think, if they are watching it, theyre talking about it positively. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today That being said, he emphasized that hockey players are really good people. If a player did come out, hockey players would be the most likely to rally around their teammate more than any of the other big sports, he posited. The problem, he said, is that players dont realize how problematic their words can be and how they might keep people in the closet. He said one thing about hockey culture that the show does not portray accurately is just how normalized homophobia is in daily conversations.The language, behaviors, and attitudes that you get in locker rooms are sometimes homophobic that starts at a very young age and progresses through your whole life. Youre programmed to feel that everyone will hate you and youll lose your career.Sometimes I dont think people recognise what theyre saying or the impact it has, McGillis said. But if youre hearing that daily, its death by 1,000 paper cuts. No active NHL player has ever come out.McGillis never played in the NHL. Additionally, he did not come out until after his hockey career had ended.In 2021, Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop came out in a social media post, which made him the first player under contract in the National Hockey League (NHL) active or retired to come out. Prokop never actually played for the Predators, though, and remained in the minor leagues until the team released him.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

After years of lesbians worshiping Kate Winslet, the actress has finally admitted she loves the ladies too. While discussing her iconic role in the sapphic film Heavenly Creatures, in which Winslet starred opposite Melanie Lynskey as real-life murderous teens, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, who were obsessed with being together, she opened up about experiences she had with women when she was young. Winslet has done countless interviews in the past, but this was the first time the 50-year-old Titanic star had talked about intimate experiences she had with girls when she was a teen. "Some of my first intimate experiences as a young teen were actually with girls, she shared in an interview with the Team Deakins podcast.During this time, Winslet said she was curious and explored her attraction to both men and women. Id kissed a few girls, and Id kissed a few boys, but I wasnt particularly evolved in either direction, she said.Winslet revealed that the connections she had with women during her teen years helped inspire the really intense bond between her character and Lynskeys when they were filming Heavenly Creatures."At that stage in my life, I certainly was curious, and I think there was something about the really intense connection that those two women had that I profoundly understood," Winslet continued. "I was so immediately sucked into the vortex of that world they were in that obviously became horrendously damaging to both of them, and they had huge insecurities and vulnerabilities.Winslet also explained that while she couldnt truly understand the darker material in Heavenly Creatures, the ability to make a deep connection with another person when you are young and vulnerable did make sense to her.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani isn't letting Elon Musk slander his nominee for chief of the Fire Department of New York as she makes history. Mamdani announced Tuesday at a press conference that he has appointed Lillian Bonsignore, a 56-year-old out lesbian and decorated first responder, to lead the FDNY once he is inaugurated on January 1. In response to the news, the billionaire and Tesla CEO took to social media over the weekend to attack Bonsignore, fallaciously claiming that "people will die because of this."Proven experience matters when lives are at stake, Musk wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, which he owns. Related: Who is Lillian Bonsignore set to be first out gay Fire Department of New York commissioner? Musk's implication that Bonsignore is inexperienced is completely false, as Mamdani was quick to point out. He wrote in post directly replying to Musk, Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY? Bonsignore joined the FDNY in 1991 as an emergency medical technician, serving 31 years before her retirement in 2022. She was named chief of the FDNYs Emergency Medical Services division in 2019, becoming the first woman to head the division and first uniformed woman to be a four-star chief in the department. Her tenure included working as a first responder in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and leading the EMS division during the COVID-19 pandemic.Bonsignore's appointment makes her the second woman and first out gay person to serve as FDNY chief. It also marks the first time women have led both the city's fire and police departments, as Jessica Tisch is expected to stay in her post as police commissioner when Mamdani takes office.Related: DOGE is gone, leaving behind 300,000 fired federal workers, 600,000 USAID deaths, and more Bonsignores calm, decisive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic when EMS professionals were more vital than ever is exactly the kind of leadership our city needs in moments of uncertainty, Mamdani said in a statement to City & State New York before the announcement.Meanwhile, Musk's experience includes heading the failed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which shut down within just ten months after failing to meet its goals. The department was responsible for firing about 300,000 federal workers, including 2,000 staff members of USAID in the complete dissolution of the U.S. humanitarian department. Data models by Boston University epidemiologist Brooke Nichols estimate that as of June, over 640,000 people globally have died due to losing USAID support, at least two-thirds of them children.

Richard Grenell, the out Kennedy Center president, is demanding a jazz musician pay up for canceling an annual free Christmas Eve performance after Donald Trump added his name to the center. Your decision to withdraw at the last momentexplicitly in response to the Centers recent renaming, which honors President Trumps extraordinary efforts to save this national treasureis classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution, Grenell, a MAGA Republican and Trump devotee, wrote in a letter to Chuck Redd, according to the Associated Press.CNN notes that in a Trump Kennedy Center logo appeared on the letterhead.Grenell also told Redd he would seek $1 million in damages, calling Redd's actions a "political stunt."Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'Easy decision' to cancel Hamilton at Kennedy CenterRedd, who plays vibraphone and other percussion, has hosted the holiday jazz concert for about 20 years. When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert, Redd told the AP.Ive been performing at the Kennedy Center since the beginning of my career and I was saddened to see this name change, he told CNN.Earlier this month, the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts' board of trustees who were selected by Trump voted to add Trump's name to the center. It was added shortly after. The move has been met with criticism. U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a Democrat who is an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has already brought a legal challenge to the renaming since the original name was established through a law passed by Congress. That law bars the board from making the center a memorial to someone else and it also prohibits adding another person's name on the building. Several Kennedy family members have expressed outrage over Trump's move. Since Trump took over the center earlier this year, artists have shunned the once-celebrated institution.

You may love the end of the year because of the holiday parties, family get-togethers, or because youre finally checking off the last of the New Year's resolutions you made in January. But the other reason to celebrate is the year-end stats all of the dating apps put out.Do you want to know which sex positions people were into in 2025? Squirt Unloaded has you covered. Curious about whether bears are more popular than fem tops? Grindr Unwrapped is the place to find out. And this year, queer and kinky dating app Feeld released their own RAW annual Global Map of Desire that details what people all over the world are getting up to in the bedroom.The report delves into which sexuality is on the rise, which cities have the most bottoms and tops, where people are playing with dom/sub dynamics, and which cities are into things like bratting and edging. So here are the 10 cities that were the kinkiest in 2025.Portland, OregonPortland isnt just keeping things weird, theyre keeping things kinky too. People in the Rose City are into bratting, edging, role play and open relationships. It also boast the most submissives, bottoms, and switches per capita. Seattle, WashingtonSeattle is home to an open-minded population who are into bratting, pegging, and open relationships. Seattle also has the most tops per capita and the second most submissive, bottoms and switches after Portland.San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, home to one of the most famous gayborhoods in the world and the Folsom Street Fair, is also one of the kinkiest cities in the world. Feeld says its the role-play capital of the world, and it's one of the top cities for open relationships. Miami, FloridaSeattle and Portland may be where the most submissive live, but Miami has the most doms. The city is also into pegging more than any other city in the survey.Berlin, GermanyBerlin is the most heteroflexible city in the world, which was also the fastest growing sexuality in 2025, up 193% this year. Berlin also has the highest number of open relationships and boast a population that is very into pegging.Boston,MassachusettsBoston is the edging capitol at the world, with 12% of respondents saying theyre into it. Bostonians also love pegging something that is true for most of these kinky cities.Denver, ColoradoDenver may not be a city that comes to mind when you think of kink, but apparently, people who live there are into bratting, role play, and edging, along with their skiing and hiking. Amsterdam,NetherlandsYoud expect the home of the infamous red-light district would be the kinkiest place in the world, but there are other cities on Feelds list that have higher numbers of people into specific kinks. But like Berlin, the people of Amsterdam are very into open relationships and identify more as heteroflexible than other cities.New York City, New YorkNew York City doesn't have the same high number of kinksters as some of the other cities on this list, but the number of bisexuals living in the Big Apple has gone up by 161%!Paris, FranceThe City of Lights somehow has a high number of heteroflexible people and a high number of people who report being celibate.

In a surprisingly flattering profile in The New York Times, Marjorie Taylor Greene portrays herself as a political naif who actually believed Donald Trumps campaign promises and suffered death threats once she broke with the president. The article softens Greenes image by omitting some of her most outrageous behavior. The story mentions that she harassed 18-year-of gun activist David Hogg on the street, without mentioning that Hogg was himself the survivor of a mass shooting at his high school. Theres no word about Greene calling Hogg little Hitler or about the time Greene kicked another teen activist. Nor is there any mention of Greenes suggestion that Paul Pelosi, husband of then-speaker Nancy Pelosi, knew the man who assaulted him in his home, a homophobic lie circulated by the right. None of Greenes actions are presented as beyond the pale. Instead reporter Robert Draper characterizes her in far gentler terms than Greenes behavior would admit: Greene did harbor a genuine conspiratorial streak, often even wondering if this or that person wore a wire. But she was also becoming an increasingly shrewd and acerbic observer of life on Capitol Hill.The shrewd observations consist largely of Greene becoming disenchanted with how little gets done in Washington and how much of what happens doesnt help many people. Its hardly an original take on D.C.More interesting is why she says she broke with Donald Trump after serving as one of his most loyal supporters. One is that as president he hasnt followed through on a lot of his promises to help working people. . Thats what Im guilty of, she said. Thats what made me, in the presidents words, a traitor which was truly believing in Make America Great Again, which I perceive to be America First. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today Another is watching Trump at Charlie Kirks funeral call saying he didnt believe in forgiveness, just after Kirks widow said she did. That was absolutely the worst statement, Greene subsequently texted Draper. It just shows where his heart is. And thats the difference, with her having a sincere Christian faith, and proves that he does not have any faith.The other reason for the rupture with Trump is the Epstein files. Like many on the far right, Greene is furious that Trump reneged on his promise to release the files. The profile portrays Greene as moved by the testimony of Epsteins victims. What it doesnt mention is the underlying conspiracy theories that animate extremists like Greene. In fact, Greene, who came to Congress as a QAnon believer, is never asked about whether she still believes in conspiracy theories. Greenes push to release the files was the final straw for Trump. After she threatened to release the names of some of the men who abused women, Trump called her up and berated her. According to Greene, Trump replied, My friends will get hurt.Her last exchange with Trump was last month, via text. After receiving a death threat against her son in an email headed Marjorie Traitor Greene, as Trump had dubbed her, Greene texted the president. He responded by attacking her in personal terms and saying she only had herself to blame for the death threat.There is no denying such behavior is reprehensible. But you would never know from the profile just how much Greene contributed to the current state of affairs. The Times profile underplaysor avoidsGreenes worst behavior. Theres no mention of Jewish lasers starting wildfires, or of Hillary Clinton slicing off and wearing a childs face. Her assertion that the 2020 election was rigged is treated as a firmly held belief, not as a lie. Her vicious attacks on transgender people are reduced to the slogan outside her office door. Theres no mention of the bill she shepherded through the House just this month that would jail doctors providing care to trans youth. If anything, Greene believes that the toxic culture that she complains about is as much the fault of everyone else as her. Earlier this month, when Lesley Stahl pressed Greene about her past behavior, Greene complained that Stahl was herself engaging in toxic politics. Instead, Greene is allowed to pass off her attacks as the result of emotional stress and strong beliefs. I was an angry citizen. An angry American, she said in explaining her behavior. And when I got here to Congress, I was attacked relentlessly and was enduring real pain in my personal life. And my emotions were just really raw.And so, when you were apologizing about your role in the toxic politics, Draper asked her, you were thinking about the times when your anger got the better of you, like the stuff about A.O.C. and Pelosi? Yeah! she exclaimed again. Because a Christian shouldnt be that way. And Im a Christian. The stuff Draper references is that Pelosi was a traitor who should suffer death. Greene verbally attacked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as an antifa supporter outside the House chamber in 2021, and as recently as this year called Ocasio-Cortez unqualified to run for higher office because she wasnt married.The profile of Greene is emblematic of the general problem with current mainstream political coverage. Instead of talking about how Greene broke the mold for acceptable behavior, the mold is changed to accommodate her. The damage that she caused to democracy is portrayed as just another form of politics. Nothing is beyond some kind of explanation to make her acceptable. But the fact remains, Greenes was always beyond the pale and her current contriteness doesnt sanctify her past behavioror as her attacks on the trans community showher current behavior. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Also Kate Winslet's bicurious stage, Chantel Everett's engagement, another article about Pluribus because I can't stop won't stop, and more! The post Hayley Kiyoko and Becca Tilleys Relationship Is a Sapphic Romance Novel Come To Life appeared first on Autostraddle.

Some of the best queer shows only last one season.Whether or not you love a TV series in particular, it's always great news to hear that an LGBTQ+ show is getting renewed. In recent years, projects like Euphoria, Heated Rivalry, The L Word: Generation Q, Heartstopper, and Peacemaker have all been greenlit for at least one more season.Unfortunately, this trend (or terrible coincidence) of queer shows being canceled after just one season continues, no matter how much engagement and hype it receives while their respective first seasons go on the air. Most of these shows deserve some love, and many of them had a lot of potential if only they were given more seasons.Below, check out our list of LGBTQ-inclusive shows that were canceled after just one season and made us feel like it was way too soon to pull the trigger on them.'Boots'One of the most recent entries to this list is Netflix's Boots, which was canceled after just one season despite receiving critical acclaim, having intense momentum on social media, and including a strong cast of young actors who promoted the series as regularly as they could.Where to watch Boots: Streaming on Netflix.'A League of Their Own'LGBTQ+ fans were incredibly excited about the A League of Their Own reboot series on Prime Video. However, the series didnt get renewed on the streaming service despite garnering a pretty big fanbase right off the bat.Where to watch A League of Their Own: Streaming on Prime Video.'Mid-Century Modern'Starring an iconic trio of Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham, Mid-Century Modern as a TV show felt like assembling "the gay Avengers." Even though the series didn't take off in a way that was expected, it was still recognized with a couple of Emmy Award nominations. Nonetheless, Hulu ultimately canceled the show after its first season.Where to watch Mid-Century Modern: Streaming on Hulu.'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies'The girls, gays, and theys who love musicals were immediately obsessed with the Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies prequel show which ran for a full season on Paramount+ but ultimately wasnt picked up for season 2.Where to watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.'Smiley'Another LGBTQ+ show that quickly developed a large following was Netflixs Smiley. While some insist that this series was only supposed to have a one-season limited run, its writers went on record to say that they already had the plot for season 2 in mind.Where to watch Smiley: streaming on Netflix.'Willow'Fans were obsessed with the Willow series, released on Disney+, that featured a queer main character. When fans received confirmation that the show wasn't picked up for a second season, it felt pretty heartbreaking, to say the least.Where to watch Willow: Streaming on Disney+.'Uncoupled'Neil Patrick Harris Uncoupled had a pretty big push once its first season dropped on Netflix, and fans were surprised that the streamer didnt renew it for a second season. Showtime subsequently picked up the show for season 2, but then also dropped it before filming even began.Where to watch Uncoupled: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.'High Fidelity'Hulu's gender-swapped adaptation of the novel by Nick Hornby and the classic John Cusack film -- which starred Zoe Kravitz as the record-store-owning, list-loving, bad-at-love Rob and featured gay romance storylines via gay main character Simon (David H. Holmes) -- was loved by critics, but didn't make it past season one. Kravitz recently said Hulu made a mistake canceling the show, and we can't help but agree.Where to watch High Fidelity: Streaming on Hulu.'Olympo'Headquartered in Spain, Zeta Studios is a production company that made as many as eight seasons of lite for Netflix. As that previous show wrapped its run on the streaming service and Olympo was launched with many of the same creators, producers as well as similar queer storylines and tone, but with a significant improvement it was assumed that Olympo would absolutely go on for many seasons to come.Shockingly, that is not what happened. After waiting nearly a full year for Netflix to share any official updates, confirmation came that Olympo wouldn't be returning for season 2. An incredibly unfortunate ending to what was a very promising new TV show centering queer love stories.Where to watch Olympo: Streaming on Netflix.'The New Normal'It is possible that The New Normal was a little bit ahead of its time. This show was very well-received by LGBTQ+ audiences when it premiered on NBC, but maybe 2012 just wasnt the right time for a series like this to take off and sustain itself on broadcast television.Where to watch The New Normal: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.'Genera+ion'The HBO Max original series Genera+ion was one of our favorite shows of 2021, highlighting life for queer Gen Z youth. It starred Justice Smith along a diverse ensemble of young actors as a group of high school students in Orange County navigating what it's like to be young and different in a conservative town.Where to watch Genera+ion: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.'Super Drags'Super Drags was a fun, hilarious, and daring animated series featuring drag queens as its main characters. Considering how long most of the adult animated series from Netflix have run, it felt pretty disappointing when Super Drags wasnt even picked up for season 2.Where to watch Super Drags: streaming on Netflix.'Stumptown'Based on Greg Rucka's comic book, Stumptown starred Cobie Smulders as bisexual private investigator Dex Parios. A former marine with PTSD, Dex worked as an investigator in Portland, solving problems the police can't get involved in. The show lasted for just 18 episodes before being canceled partially due to the global pandemic.On the other hand, ABC did reportedly try to sell the series to another network or streaming service, so it's possible that Stumptown could come back in the future.Where to watch Stumptown: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.'1899'lite heartthrob Miguel Bernardeau played a queer character while starring in this new Netflix series from the same creators of Dark. Unfortunately, 1899 was canceled after just one season.Where to watch 1899: Streaming on Netflix.'I Am Not Okay With This'This coming-of-age black comedy had so much potential, yet it was canceled after just seven episodes, again, due in large part to the global pandemic. Starring Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff from It, the show followed Sydney Novak, a 17-year-old girl who is simultaneously discovering she is a lesbian and has psychic powers.Where to watch I Am Not Okay With This: streaming on Netflix.'Queer As Folk'Though it was highly-anticipated and featured an ensemble cast that included some of our queer faves like Jesse James Keitel, CG, Devin Way, Fin Argus, Johnny Sibilly, Ryan O'Connell, Kim Cattrall, and Juliette Lewis, Peacock axed the first and only season of Stephen Dunn's modern, rebooted version of the beloved gay series from the 2000s by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, which was based off of Russell T Davies' 1999 British TV series of the same name.The 2022 Queer As Folk followed a group of queer friends as they dealt with the aftermath and fallout of a tragic event that affected the LGBTQ+ community in New Orleans, and was praised for its fearless depictions of modern queer life.Where to watch Queer As Folk (2022): Streaming on Peacock.'The Society'This sci-fi series starring Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon, and Sean Berdy was about a group of teens who are forced to run their own community after the rest of their town disappears. The series featured a cute gay couple, Sam and Grizz, who had a cute first kiss after Grizz asked Sam, who uses sign language, to teach him the sign for "kiss me." Sadly, the show only lasted for one, ten-episode season because of the global pandemic.Where to watch The Society: Streaming on Netflix.'My So-Called Life'When it aired on ABC from August 1994 to January 1995, My So-Called Life introduced us to some of this generation's most celebrated actors, including Claire Danes and Jared Leto. It also introduced the world to Rickie Vasquez, played by Out cover star Wilson Cruz, the first gay character played by a gay actor in a leading role in American television history. We still miss him. My So-Called Life ran for 19 episodes on ABC and has gained new audiences over the years via streaming services.Where to watch My So-Called Life: Streaming on Hulu.'First Kill'Though the campy, supernatural teen series wasn't a hit with the critics, it did garner a considerable LGBTQ+ fanbase, especially for its portrayal of young, queer love between two girls.But the representation and visibility it provided to sapphics who just want a cute teen show to stan wasn't enough to save it from getting the ax after just one season on the streamer.Where to watch First Kill: Streaming on Netflix.'Dragnificent!'RuPaul's Drag Race darlings Jujubee, Alexis Michelle, Thorgy Thor, and BeBe Zahara Benet joined forces on a makeover show named Dragnificent!, which aired on TLC for one season. The particular focus of the show was for the queens to help women during their wedding day, and it felt like a pretty cute concept that could've been sustained for a few seasons. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and Dragnificent! was canceled after only airing its debut season.Where to watch Dragnificent!: Streaming on Discovery+.'The Get Down'Baz Luhrmann's ambitious musical drama reached some great heights, but never stuck with audiences enough to get a second season. It's one season was split into two parts, exploring a group of young Black men trying to break into the world of rap and hip hop. One character named Dizzee (played by Jaden Smith) has a budding romance with another graffiti artist named Thor. Unfortunately, we never got to see where they could've gone.Where to watch The Get Down: Streaming on Netflix.'Cruel Summer' (2024 TV Series)The original, 1999 film Cruel Summer was always a fan-favorite among the gays and that audience was taken into consideration even more on Prime Video's 2024 TV series reboot. For one, a character like Scott Russell (played by Khobe Clarke) had a much more outwardly queer identity in this iteration. Moreover, the always-there undertones of queerness from the original film became more literal on the TV show. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after just one season on Prime Video.Where to watch Cruel Summer (2024): Streaming on Prime Video.'Tom Swift'The CW continued its canceling spree, adding Nancy Drew spinoff Tom Swift to its list of canceled shows. The show, which just premiered on May 31, follows a Black, young, gay, billionaire, genius inventor (played by Tian Richards) who is "thrust into a world of sci-fi conspiracy and unexplained phenomena" after his father disappears.Where to watch Tom Swift: Streaming on HBO Max.'Everything Sucks!'Yes, yet another Netflix series canceled after just one season. Everything Sucks! was one of our favorite shows about what it's like being a teen, and in many ways, felt like a worthy successor to another one-season wonder, Freaks and Geeks. It was set in the real-life small town of Boring, Oregon and followed a group of teens at the local high school who join the A/V Club and Drama Club and team up to make a movie. The principal's daughter Kate starts out dating one of the boys, but quickly develops a crush on older Drama student Emaline, and later comes out.Where to watch Everything Sucks!: Streaming on Netflix.'Q-Force'Not during Pride Month!!! Netflix canceled the truly terrific animated series Q-Force, making it just the latest great queer show to only last one season. The show, which faced unfair and uninformed criticism across social media and the internet when it came out, was actually one of the funniest and most accurate depictions of queer life ever put in cartoon form. The show starred Sean Hayes as secret agent Steve Maryweather, the golden boy of the American Intelligence Agency who was forced into obscurity in West Hollywood after he publicly came out as gay. It also starred Matt Rogers as master of drag and disguise Twink, Wanda Sykes as the butch mechanic Deb, Patti Harrison as the trans hacker Stat, and David Harbour as the team's token straight.The show had some of the best queer comedy you'll find on TV and gave us representation like we'd never seen before. Q-Force we will miss you.Where to watch Q-Force: Streaming on Netflix.'Gypsy'Gypsy was a wild show starring Naomi Watts as Jean Holloway: A clinical psychologist in New York City who dismisses every ethical principle, ignored all common-sense guidelines regarding patients and doctors, and upends her personal life by developing relationships with some of her patients.Those wild choices are perfectly exemplified in Sophie Cookson as Sidney Pierce, a bisexual musician who falls in love with Jean and has those feelings being reciprocated. Don't get us wrong it's a very strange show! But given how many projects have been renewed for season 2 in order to find their pacing, Gypsy could, and should, have returned for a second season.Where to watch Gypsy: Streaming on Netflix.'The 4400'This reboot of the 2004 series, The 4400, about the titular number of people who mysteriously vanished over the last century suddenly reappearing with no memories of what happened, was also canceled after just one season. The show featured trans characters Dr. Andre Davis and Noah, as well as several lesbian characters like Keisha Taylor, Soraya Voss, and Jessica Tanner.Where to watch The 4400: Streaming on Tubi.'Queen Stars Brasil'Hosted by pop star and drag artist Pabllo Vittar, alongside fellow singer Lusa Sonza, Queen Stars Brasil was a reality competition series featuring drag artists that displayed their vocal prowess.Queen Stars Brasil premiered in April 2022 as one of HBO Max's first original TV shows made for the streaming service as it expanded onto Brazil. Generally, it's pretty unfortunate that the show never managed to get a second season, but the first season is still worth watching.Where to watch Queen Stars Brasil: Streaming on HBO Max.'Queens on the Run'Brazilian pop culture icon Xuxa Meneghel and drag icon Ikaro Kadoshi hosted another early contender in the ecosystem of pre-Drag Race Brasil TV shows featuring drag artists as competitors. This series, Queens on the Run, felt a little bit like The Amazing Race and We're Here in the sense that it kept "traveling" onto new cities for each new episode.Instead of going to these different places to put locals in drag and/or to throw a one-off drag performance, though, the competition was among the actual "queens" who were "on the run" and were challenged to incorporate certain elements of the local scene in each city as part of the overall journey.Where to watch Queen on the Run: Streaming on Prime Video.'Finding Prince Charming'Truth be told, Logo TV's Finding Prince Charming wasn't a successful attempt at mimicking the formula of shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette But for gay men!On the other hand, it is rare for a reality show to be perfectly developed and successful in its inaugural season. There was potential for Finding Prince Charming to use the lessons that it learned in that first season to continue the series and make the proper changes for it to not fail as badly moving forward.Unfortunately, this queer dating series was canceled after just one season, and it's still rare for gay dating shows to get greenlit in recent years.Where to watch Finding Prince Charming: Currently not available for streaming. Other options can be found on JustWatch.

Author of the Financialicious newsletter, Out columnist, and now book author Nick Wolny is here to tell queer people that making choices about money and personal finance is not only an achievable goal but it can even be fun!How can anyone find the fierce in finance, you ask? Well, consider a recent issue from Wolny's Financialicious newsletter titled "Buy Now Pay Later is very DL." In it, the author argues that "sometimes financing just enables both consumers and business owners to be messy with their money, and then they're ashamed of the mess, so they keep quiet about it, and it turns into a mind-f**k."Later in the issue, Wolny references the "Online Shopping" episode from Trixie Mattel and Katya's UNHhhh series, notes the dystopian vibes of food delivery apps partnering with short-term financing platforms to let you "finance your next burrito," and even quotes wise words from a yoga friend: "Sometimes, feelings lie." I know that's right, fam.Over the years, Wolny has explored a wide range of topics through his writing about finance not only on the Financialicious newsletter, but also within his print column for Out magazine both of which have focus on queer people as his target audience. Today, Wolny releases the first book in his career, Money Proud, as a "queer guide to generate wealth, slay debt, and build good habits to secure your future."In an interview, Out chats with Nick Wolny about his own journey with finance, why queer people can have a stressful relationship with money, and what readers can expect from his new book, Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future, now available everywhere books are sold.Out: You are now a well-known finance columnist, but you didn't exactly start on Wall Street. How do you explain your background story and that transition period into finance?Nick Wolny: Yeah, it's interesting, because my background is not in finance. It's about as far from finance as you could get. My background is in classical music. After music school, I did a variety of odd jobs, you know, like many people do in their 20s, trying to make it work, make ends meet, things like that. I learned a lot about that transition from what you studied in school versus what your skills actually are, and what you get paid to do, and what you know your value at work.I was self-employed for almost six years, mainly in writing and marketing. I wanted something more editorial, so I took a position as an editor with a personal finance publication called NextAdvisor. It was a partnership with Time, and that publication helped me get that foundational understanding of personal finance and of money in general that there would have been no other way to get.You've mentioned that your relationship with money was shaped early on. What was it like, for you, growing up?I grew up in rural Illinois. So, you know, my high school was surrounded by corn on three sides a small town kind of energy. I would never see any gay people. The only gay people were obviously the choir teacher and the gay couple that owned the best cafe in town.My parents always fought about money and divorced when I was seven. So I grew up with my mom, and she was the one who was the spender. There was always issues with debt. I didn't know what a debt collector was, but I just knew strangers would call the house all the time.The rule in the house was, "Don't answer the phone." Looking back on that, I'm like, "That's fucked up."For some people, that mentality or directive can really stay with them, even as they grow up.Yeah, but I also don't think it is as uncommon or rare as it sounds on its face. I think a lot of households are going through that kind of situation then and now.When I reflect back on my 20s, and how I worked so hard, and didn't have much to show for it It makes me pissed to think about it, too. I didn't know how to handle the money once I had it. I grew up low income, so I think that was also a part of it, unconsciously: I didn't know how to handle money when I had it.You've talked about music as an outlet before finance entered the picture. How would you describe your connection with the arts?Music was the thing that let me express myself during that closeted adolescence. It just developed so much meaning for me throughout school. I had my whole plan architected by the time I was 13. I was like, "I'm going to keep it all in, and then once I get to college, I'm going to be gay from day one."My theory is that my passion for music kind of dimmed over time, because my core motivation around it was related to this acceptance of myself, and this expression of myself. As I expressed myself more as a person, naturally, the need to have music in the picture became less and less of a priority.I've heard you say that you're less interested in wealth than you are in stability, which is an outlook that I really like and resonate with. How do you explain that rationale to people?It's that I don't care so much about like, "Wow, I'm so fucking wealthy." That just doesn't appeal to me. It's more so that desire for stability. I live in a one bedroom apartment by myself in Long Beach, and I feel like so luxurious.On a related note, you've been critical of this "extreme money culture" that exists online. How do you diagnose that issue, and turns you off about it?I don't think personal finance is this dramatic "get rich quick" thing. Or, you know, stuff that gets amplified so much nowadays on social. There's lots of grift, and there's lots of MLM energy That is Multi-Level Marketing, not the Men Loving Men genre! [Laughs.]A big theme in your book is consumerism and pressure, especially in queer culture.Yeah. Queer culture, in particular, there's always this unspoken pressure. It's kind of a version of Keeping Up with the Joneses. There's that pressure in consumerism to spend money you don't have, which is quite normalized in order to keep up. And then we have queer people with a lot of credit card debt; with a lot of Buy Now, Pay Later.We also have a lot of data that I showcase in the book that queer people just have more debt, and less in savings, in general.Of course subjects like finance and money are common causes of stress, but I still found it so interesting for you to start this book, Money Proud, straight-up just talking about stress in the first chapter. It's just not the typical move for a book like this.Yeah, the whole first chapter of this book is about chronic stress, which is weird for a money book. But I'm just like, "It is actually the first thing we have to address." If that is out of control, then you're never going to look at your bank account. And I know that, and you know that, so it's a problem.I've had a few personal experiences related to money that felt specifically tied to being queer, but I was already over 18 at those points in time. I do think, though, that most queer people are sort of pushed to think or to worry about money at a younger age than the average child. We all know stories of kids who got kicked out of their homes for being queer but they're still just children. Are you able to observe that relationship through your work?For a lot of queer people, there is fear about the financial impact of the coming out process. And, yes, that is statistically true. That kind of creates a survival instinct for us. And then you find your people, and you feel like you should try to keep up with them now you want to drink all that up. It sort of just keeps going.Something that annoys me deeply particularly for Millennials and younger generations is this constant retirement advice that we all need millions of dollars to retire. Even though I understand what that means, it's hard for the average person to look around and have even one friend who has reached the million-dollar mark. I really enjoy talking through things with other people, but it's frustrating when the conversation has nowhere to go. The only advice is this timeline with dollar amounts that just feel impossible to keep up with. What is that about?I think a part of this is that we're really bad at visualizing compound interest. The idea of a million dollars sounds insane, but there's a saying in personal finance that goes, "30 percent is halfway there."After 15 years, you're only at $300,000, which is weird. But the rest of the money starts to compound faster and faster after that.You often emphasize "consistency" over "perfection." Why do you think that is such an important message to share with your audience?Instead of being freaked out about the big number at the end, it's easier to focus on one foot in front of the other. Can you swing 100 bucks out of your paycheck twice a month? Then, I'd say, just start there.One last question (just for fun): Is there a pop star or pop culture figure who you think is secretly a personal finance genius?Rihanna not releasing songs is actually one of the first ones that come to mind. She does what she wants to do, and she doesn't care what anyone thinks. And she's taking care of her family.There's this thing called sunk-cost fallacy, which is that people keep doing something because of how much time and effort they've already put into it. The fact that she just decided, like, 'Nah' I think that's actually something we could all go off of.Nick Wolny's debut book, Money Proud, is now available everywhere books are sold. You can subscribe to Nick Wolny's newsletter, Financialicious, on NickWolny.com. Otherwise, the author can be followed on his official social media pages on Instagram and TikTok, among others.

The anti-abortion group Students for Life of America says the countrys waterways and drinking water are contaminated with abortion water.People need to understand that they are likely drinking other peoples abortions, Student for Lifes head of policy, Kristi Hamrick, toldPolitico. Related RFK Jr claims antidespressants may cause mass shootings when asked about trans health care The group is making the claim in an appeal to the Trump administrations EPA to get mifepristone a drug used in more than two-thirds of all abortions added to a list of drinking water contaminants tracked by public utilities.The pitch is part of an effort to align the anti-abortion group with Robert F. Kennedys Make America Healthy Again initiative. The anti-science HHS secretary could be receptive to their message. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Betsy Southerland, a former career scientist in EPAs Office of Water in the first Trump administration, called the idea of adding mifepristone to the EPAs list outrageous.We have such a huge queue of emerging contaminants that we know are toxic, and we know are in our drinking water and in our fisheries, she said. You would be replacing a known toxic chemical for a hypothetical one. Though trace amounts of mifepristone may remain in fetal tissue thats flushed down the toilet, experts say its unlikely to make it into American waterways, let alone drinking water.Students for Life says it has conducted its own water testing, with plans to publish the findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It has yet to do so.Hamrick, the policy director, called the danger of mifepristone self-evident.Do you really need a test to determine that its a bad idea to flush placenta, tissue, blood and human remains into our waterways? she asked. Hamrick said EPA staff seemed receptive to the message and suggested using the upcoming public comment period for a five-year update on the EPAs list of water contaminants to get their message out.She said Students for Life hopes to meet soon with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and ultimately, Secretary Kennedy.All I want for Christmas, said the groups president, Kristan Hawkins, is for millions of Americans to let the Trump Administration know that we want assurances that the Make America Healthy Again agenda includes clean water for all life.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Your sexting game can be upped by applying a few therapeutic principles.The post How To Apply These Therapeutic Principles to Sexting appeared first on Autostraddle.

Out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is having a hard time defending President Donald Trumps chaotic economic policies. And now he just threatened a journalist for questioning Trumps management of the economy.Bessent appeared on NBCs Meet the Press this past Sunday, where host Kristen Welker asked him about the possibility of a recession after years of a strong economy under President Joe Biden. She pointed out the drop in the stock market and the loss of consumer confidence in the past several weeksas the administration rolls out tariffs with an unknown goal or end datewhile Bessent smiled and said he wasnt worried. Related Lauren Boebert says including LGBTQ parents is a plot to get rid of parents all together I say that one week does not the market make, Bessent stammered with a fake grin stretched across his face, trying to sound confident when Welker asked him about Americans losing their retirement savings. 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 Welker then asked him if he could guarantee the American people here and now that there will be no recession on President Trumps watch.Well, Kristen, you- you- you know that there are no guarantees, Bessent said, still smiling bizarrely. Like, who would have predicted COVID?Perhaps his answer didnt sit well with him, and thats why he ran to Fox Business two days later. Fox host Maria Bartiromo brought up Welkers question and said, You wanted to address that this morning, suggesting Bessent or one of his representatives specifically asked Bartiromo before the interview to let him have another shot at answering Welkers question.Bessent, having had two days to think of a response to reassure the American people about Trumps economic policies, decided to just threaten Welker.Yeah, well- well, look, it was- it was a silly- it was a silly question, Can you guarantee theres not gonna be a recession?' Bessent said, visibly annoyed. I cant guarantee anything. I cant guarantee that the journalist who asked me the question that her news programs gonna be on in a year.He then said that the economy in 2025 is doing better than the media is reporting, noticeably avoiding saying that its doing better than it was in 2024. Bessent: "Can you guarantee there's not gonna be a recession? I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee that the journalist who asked me the question that her news program is gonna be on in a year." pic.twitter.com/MLcMCBSwXo Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2025Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

If Zohran Mamdani is a Bunhead, then Kim Petras can be an animal rights activist. That's how pop music and politics work in 2025, after all.It didn't take long for Petras to catch wind that Mamdani had mentioned her name in a new Interview feature, going as far as noting one of his favorite tracks for the singer "I Like Ur Look" which is a pretty recent release for the Grammy-winning musician. (For context, BunHead is the name of a label that Petras created for herself to release music independently. The name/term was then assigned to Petras's fans, similarly to how Lady Gaga has Little Monsters.)As a way to lean into the name-dropping but also advocate for a cause that she cares deeply about (at a time when the mayor of New York City is quite literally listening to her in his ears, by his own account), Petras took this opportunity to ask the new NYC mayor to ban horse carriages from Central Park, thus freeing the horses that have been chained to those carriages for as long as they've lived, as reported by Rolling Stone.Petras shared a screenshot of the Interview conversation on X and wrote in the caption of the post: "Zohran Mamdani I am willing to privately send you my new album if we can get the horse carriages banned from Central Park." (@) The presence of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park has been a hot topic in New York City for a while now, prompting several celebrities, influencers, local residents, and animal rights organizations to urge for the horses to be freed. Toward the end of his mayoral tenure, Eric Adams seemed to join the movement in favor of banning the Central Park horse carriages.In a speech, Mamdani acknowledged that concern as a "significant issue" as well. Given that he's soon taking over the role of NYC mayor whereas Adams is on his way out all eyes have turned to Mamdani to see how he will navigate the issue once he's in office.The screenshot in Petras's X post is a tiny part of a much larger conversation between Mel Ottenberg and Mamdani, which was published by Interview magazine on Monday just a couple of days before he's sworn in as the new mayor of New York City. "We met at the transition office," Ottenberg described their surroundings, "which looks like a cross between Being John Malkovich and Severance but REAL (we loved the location vibe)." See on Instagram In case you haven't read the interactions between Ottenberg and Mamdani for Interview, Ottenberg asked Mamdani if he had a playlist that helps him "get hyped."Mamdani replied, "Oh, man. I have a few songs. My wife prefers calmer music in the morning. I, for some reason, want to listen to Kim Petras or Lil Wayne or Madonna.""Beautiful," Ottenberg replied.Mamdani added, "At eight in the morning, it doesn't make much sense.""I love that," Ottenberg remarked. "Kim Petras was in our last issue."In response, Mamdani declared that "I Like Ur Look" (spelled "Like Your Look" in the published piece) is a "great song." Now that Mamdani is stepping into the role of NYC mayor, we hope that he's able to hear how upsetting this saga has been for animal lovers who are watching those horses being mistreated for as long as they've been there.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis who was among several employees who publicly resigned from a leadership position at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in August is returning to the local health sector. He has been appointed Chief Medical Officer for thehistoric NYC health organization,Callen-Lorde Community Health Center.My career has taken me from local to federal, the out physician told health and science publication STAT10 after his appointment. This is when its time to go back to local. Related Gay vaccine chief resigns in protest of administrations manipulation of data Demetrehas a wealth of experience that will help him guide Callen-Lorde through newclinicalinitiatives and challenges whileremainingsteadfasttoourmissiontocare forour communities regardless of ability to pay, Callen-Lorde said in an announcement of Daskalakis appointment. His passion and experience make him particularly suited for this new role.The infectious disease specialist started his career doing HIV clinical work in New York City as an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital. He moved on to the NYC Department of Health, where he served as deputy commissioner before joining the CDC. 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 Daskalakis came to public prominence as head of the Biden administrations Mpox outbreak response in 2022, which employed a successful strategy of Education and outreach, as well as vaccination based on hard data.Infections dont heed orders,he toldLGBTQ Nationat the time.Now Daskalakis is taking his skills back to the city where they were honed.For the moment, Washington is an environment where I really dont think that federal public health is able to actually execute on its mission, he said. Daskalakis reached a breaking point at the CDC over the summer as the full extent of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s anti-science agenda was coming into view.Citing radical non-transparency, unskilled manipulation of data, and people of dubious intent and more dubious scientific rigor, Daskalakis, then the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the agency, resigned in August, following Kennedys firing of CDC director Susan Monarez.After much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people, Daskalakis wrote in a searing condemnation of the current administrations stewardship of the nations public health agencies. Enough is enough, he said.Daskalakis was introduced to the clinics at Callen-Lorde as an NYU medicalstudent on rotations in 1997. More than 25 years later, the organization honored him at this years annual Community Health Awards for his numerous contributions to public health.Reflecting on his early years as a physician, Daskalakis said, At Callen-Lorde, I learned the true meaning of service: to uplift and protect the very community I hold most dear. I witnessed a safe space based in science, a mission lifted by and for community. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Will Byers' (Noah Schnapp) coming out scene in the penultimate episode of Stranger Things season 5 did not seem to hit the same for everyone as it did for the queer community. After it aired, the episode titled "The Bridge" was review-bombed by homophobes across multiple rating sites, Variety reports. On IMDB, the episode was rated a 5.4 out of 10 with more than 106,000 reviews, which is almost double the number of reviews as most other episodes.In the episode, Will comes out in an emotional scene with his Joyce (Winona Ryder), brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and his friends, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and Steve (Joe Keery). During his emotional monologue, he hints at his crush on Mike, saying that he "had this crush on someone even though I know, I know theyre not like me, but then I realized, hes just my Tammy."Elon Musk, a constant critic of LGBTQ+ rights and the "woke mind virus," commented on the coming out scene on X, responding to an account that posted a clip of Will's monologue. "Stranger Things fans are criticizing a character for coming out as homosexual in the season finale, calling it was completely unnecessary for the plot," the post that has over four million views on it reads. "The culture is changing." (@) Musk replied to that post and said, "Its completely unnecessary and forced on audiences who just want to enjoy some basic sci-fi." This comment was then supported by a slew of homophobes agreeing with him, saying things like "HBO Max is no better. That Heated Rivalry show is being blatantly pushed to young audiences. It's an agenda." (@) Over 2,600 left their comments about the episode on the IMDB rating page, and many of the critiques are about the writing for the coming out scene and the overall final installment of the Stranger Things franchise. "The coming out scene was the worst thing I've ever witnessed in film history, and that's saying something, because I've adored god-awful movies and shows," one person wrote. "As someone in the queer community, there was absolutely no need for Will to ever confess in front of that many people."Another person left a review saying, "What once felt like a gripping, character-driven story ended in a finale that prioritized messaging over meaningful storytelling. Representation isn't the problem, but when it feels forced and constantly highlighted, it takes away from the tension, horror, and emotional payoff the show was known for." The person continued, "The pacing was uneven, the stakes felt muted, and the conclusion lacked impact. After years of buildup, this ending didn't feel earned and failed to deliver a satisfying close to the series."

A reader seeks advice after a year of romantic and literary rejection.The post My New Years Resolution Is To Handle Rejections Better But Where Do I Start? appeared first on Autostraddle.

New York has a huge LGBTQ+ population, and while the city is known for its diversity, healthcare experiences still vary a lot.Eye care might not be the first thing people think about when discussing queer health, but it plays a bigger role than most expect.Vision issues can affect school, work, mental health, and daily safety, which means inclusive providers can make a real difference.With that in mind, heres the lowdown on the kinds of eye care solutions that welcome and support people from all backgrounds, covering how they operate and why this matters.What Affirming Eye Care Looks LikeAffirming eye care is more than being friendly. Its about understanding diverse identities, respecting pronouns, and acknowledging how LGBTQ+ experiences can shape health needs. In New York especially, inclusive clinics tend to focus on creating low stress, judgment free spaces.Heres what that often looks like:Intake forms that recognize a full range of genders and family structuresStaff trained in LGBTQ+ cultural competencyClinical conversations that avoid assumptionsOne place where affirming care becomes especially meaningful is vision therapy. Many locals look for providers who understand how stress, trauma, or sensory sensitivity can influence visual performance. So, if youre on the lookout for a vision therapy center in New York, its a green flag when the provider explains treatment in a way that feels respectful and accessible.How Inclusive Practices Improve LGBTQ+ HealthReducing Healthcare AvoidanceA lot of LGBTQ+ adults and teens delay medical appointments because theyve had uncomfortable or discriminatory experiences elsewhere, including for mental health care. When eye care providers take a clearly affirming approach, people are far more likely to follow through with exams, therapies, and preventative visits.Supporting Mental and Emotional ComfortVision challenges can already feel frustrating, and misgendering or awkward questions can make appointments even harder. Inclusive clinics help lower that emotional load. Research shared by SUNY College of Optometry, which has been recognized for excellence in diversity efforts, highlights how culturally aware health environments improve patient cooperation and overall outcomes.Making Community Resources Easier to AccessNew York has strong networks, but knowing where to go is half the battle. Directories created by groups like OutCare Health help LGBTQ+ New Yorkers find providers who already understand their needs, reducing the stress of cold calling unknown clinics. Also, community based care models expand access to people who might not otherwise receive regular exams.The Bigger Picture for Eye Health EquityAffirming eye care sits at the intersection of vision wellness, mental health, and community safety. As more providers follow progressive models, it becomes easier for LGBTQ+ individuals to get consistent care without fear of judgment.New York is already a leader in inclusive health conversations, and expanding affirming services within optometry helps continue that momentum. Even small steps, such as updating clinic language or offering staff training, can dramatically shift patient comfort levels.If youre exploring more about how inclusive health works in practice, keep an eye on community driven research and local healthcare updates. These resources often highlight real stories and evolving best practices, which can make your next eye care visit feel clearer in more ways than one.The post How Affirming Eye Care Services Support LGBTQ+ Health in New York appeared first on LGBTQ and ALL.

New York has a huge LGBTQ+ population, and while the city is known for its diversity, healthcare experiences still vary a lot.Eye care might not be the first thing people think about when discussing queer health, but it plays a bigger role than most expect.Vision issues can affect school, work, mental health, and daily safety, which means inclusive providers can make a real difference.With that in mind, heres the lowdown on the kinds of eye care solutions that welcome and support people from all backgrounds, covering how they operate and why this matters.What Affirming Eye Care Looks LikeAffirming eye care is more than being friendly. Its about understanding diverse identities, respecting pronouns, and acknowledging how LGBTQ+ experiences can shape health needs. In New York especially, inclusive clinics tend to focus on creating low stress, judgment free spaces.Heres what that often looks like:Intake forms that recognize a full range of genders and family structuresStaff trained in LGBTQ+ cultural competencyClinical conversations that avoid assumptionsOne place where affirming care becomes especially meaningful is vision therapy. Many locals look for providers who understand how stress, trauma, or sensory sensitivity can influence visual performance. So, if youre on the lookout for a vision therapy center in New York, its a green flag when the provider explains treatment in a way that feels respectful and accessible.How Inclusive Practices Improve LGBTQ+ HealthReducing Healthcare AvoidanceA lot of LGBTQ+ adults and teens delay medical appointments because theyve had uncomfortable or discriminatory experiences elsewhere, including for mental health care. When eye care providers take a clearly affirming approach, people are far more likely to follow through with exams, therapies, and preventative visits.Supporting Mental and Emotional ComfortVision challenges can already feel frustrating, and misgendering or awkward questions can make appointments even harder. Inclusive clinics help lower that emotional load. Research shared by SUNY College of Optometry, which has been recognized for excellence in diversity efforts, highlights how culturally aware health environments improve patient cooperation and overall outcomes.Making Community Resources Easier to AccessNew York has strong networks, but knowing where to go is half the battle. Directories created by groups like OutCare Health help LGBTQ+ New Yorkers find providers who already understand their needs, reducing the stress of cold calling unknown clinics. Also, community based care models expand access to people who might not otherwise receive regular exams.The Bigger Picture for Eye Health EquityAffirming eye care sits at the intersection of vision wellness, mental health, and community safety. As more providers follow progressive models, it becomes easier for LGBTQ+ individuals to get consistent care without fear of judgment.New York is already a leader in inclusive health conversations, and expanding affirming services within optometry helps continue that momentum. Even small steps, such as updating clinic language or offering staff training, can dramatically shift patient comfort levels.If youre exploring more about how inclusive health works in practice, keep an eye on community driven research and local healthcare updates. These resources often highlight real stories and evolving best practices, which can make your next eye care visit feel clearer in more ways than one.The post How Affirming Eye Care Services Support LGBTQ+ Health in New York appeared first on LGBTQ and ALL.

LGBTQ Nations January issue will examine the state of LGBTQ+ rights one year into the Trump administration. Our writers and experts will explore the effects of the administrations anti-LGBTQ+ crusade, and particularly its war on the trans community. We will also examine how activists, politicians, and others have resisted, and which parts of their strategies need to change.Thats where you come in. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today We want to hear from you on how living under the second Trump administration has affected you personally over the last year and what you hope to see from LGBTQ+ leaders as we move forward. We will publish as many responses as we can as part of our January Issue. Feel free to answer one or both questions.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name (optional)FirstLastAgeGender IdentitySexual OrientationPronounsHow has living under the second Trump administration affected you personally over the last year?living you What do you hope to see from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies in 2026? Submit

One of the most persistent and painful questions faced by LGBTQ+ people of faith is this: If God is good, intentional, and sovereign, why would God create me this way if it were wrong? That question is not rebellion—it is theology. And when we take Scripture, creation, and the nature of God seriously, the answer becomes clearer than many are willing to admit: God created LGBTQ+ persons...

The fallout from Donald Trumps decision to illegally rename the Kennedy Center to give himself top billing continues to grow, creating an embarrassing situation for the president. As it turns out, artists dont want their work associated with Trump, despite legal threats from Ric Grenell, the presidents openly gay factotum who heads the center.On Monday, just days before their scheduled New Years Eve concerts, the Cookers, a highly regarded jazz group, announced that they were cancelling their appearance at the Kennedy Center. With deep regret, we must share that we are unable to perform as planned on New Years Eve, the group said in a statement, explaining that the decision came together very quickly. We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them. The Cookers said that their decision was in line with what jazz is about. Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice, their statement said.While the statement didnt directly refer to the renaming, drummer Billy Hart told The New York Times that the decision was evidently because of 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 As it turns out, the Cookers are hardly alone in that decision. Last weeks Christmas Eve concert was canceled at the last minute for the same reason. Long-time host Chuck Redd, another giant in the world of jazz,said that Trump renaming the Center was the last straw. When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert, Redd told the Associated Press. Kristy Lee, a folk singer from Alabama, announced last week that she was cancelling her January concert because of the Center renaming. When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody elses ego, I cant stand on that stage and sleep right at night, she wrote on Instagram. America didnt get built by branding. It got built by people showing up and doing the work. And the folks who carry it dont need their name on it, they just show up. Thats all Im doing here.Im showing up.Other artists are piling on as well. Doug Varone and Dancers, who were scheduled to appear at the Kennedy Center next April, announced Monday that they were cancelling their appearance as well. We can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution, Varone said.The holiday cancellations in particular hit the Kennedy Center hard, because the season is highly lucrative. The bottom line already took a hit when Grenell signed off on a deal to let FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, use the Center free of charge over the holidays for its World Cup planning. That decision led to multiple holiday performances being cancelled or rescheduled. In response to the cancellation of the Christmas Eve concert, Grenell threatened to sue Redd for $1 million, calling that Redds decision classic intolerance while lauding President Trumps extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure.The newest cancellations led Grenell to resort to trashing the artists.The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership, Grenell said on X. Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far left political activists rather than artists willing to perform for everyone regardless of their political beliefs.The Kennedy Center has been reeling with empty seats and plummeting revenue ever since Trump fired the previous board and named himself the new chairman. Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate are investigating Grenell for an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

If Heated Rivalry is still playing on a loop in your head and you are obsessively reading every update about season 2, youre not alone, and the Quinn app has kindly stepped in to fill that gaping void in everyones life.The audio erotica app just released the first two episodes of a three-part Romantasy series starring Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, titled Ember & Ice. Instead of watching hockey legends Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov get down and dirty in hotel rooms, the audio erotica pumps Williams and Storries moans and dirty talk directly into your ears. Eagle-eyed Heated Rivalry fans guessed that the two actors would be involved in Quinns latest celebrity-narrated original after the app teased hockey gear, but the internet truly went wild when a teaser trailer and fairy prince photoshoot dropped yesterday. But what is the Quinn app? What is the original erotica about? And how thirsty was the internets reaction? Dont worry, weve got the answers! (@) What is the Quinn app?Quinn is one of the largest apps featuring audio erotica. The subscription-based service features self-insertion storytelling where the listeners get to be one of the characters performed by professional narrators and original series voiced by some of the biggest Hollywood stars.Williams and Storrie are far from the first celebrities to give voice to Quinns sexy stories. Andrew Scott, Jesse Williams, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Manny Jacinto have all narrated original sexy content. The L Word star Katherine Moennig even voiced a sapphic erotica for the app.Quinn can be downloaded onto your phone, but to gain access to all of the sexy stories, you have to pay a subscription fee of $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year.Who are Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie playing?Unlike every other original audio erotica from Quinn, which are self-insert narrations, Ember & Ice is a duet between fae princes played by Williams and Storrie. "This is our first duet Quinn Original, with the intimate scenes taking place between the two leads rather than between a lead and the listener," Quinn founder and CEO Caroline Spiegel told Cosmopolitan. "The sound design is wild, and the spice is truly next level!Much like their characters in Heated Rivalry where Williams plays a closeted, tightly wound hockey star and Storrie plays as his more free-spirited bisexual rival in Ember & Ice, Williams voices Finn, a closeted and dutiful heir to the Lunar throne, who falls for a bisexual reckless Solari prince named Dane, voiced by Storrie.What is 'Ember & Ice' about? (@) According to Quinn, Set in a richly imagined fantasy world shaped by history, duty, and forbidden desire, Ember & Ice follows Dane and Finn, two fae princes from the rival Solari and Lunare kingdoms. The series draws listeners deep into the world of the story as it unfolds, positioning them as an intimate observer to every moment of tension, longing, and intimacy between Dane and Finn. At its core, Ember & Ice is a story about choosing love in defiance of expectation.Think A Court of Thorns and Roses, but extremely gay and even smuttier.In this hot MM romantasy, things get spicy when forced proximity turns rivalry into simmering attraction as Dane and Finn are forced to spend time together, and Dane teaches Finn how to let down his guard, have fun, and accept his same-sex attraction.When a war breaks out, Finn and Dane are separated, but find out they will be reunited years later at a treaty summit. The first episode ends with Williams character moaning and groaning as he gets off to his memories of Dane.Two rivals and a forbidden affair? Sounds familiar, but this time its about fae princes with wings that give away just how horny they are, instead of hockey players sneaking around in hotel rooms while trying to defeat each other on the ice.The second episode features Storrie narrating Danes sinfully hot memories of his sexual experiences and emotional connection with Dane as they gear up to meet again. The third episode has yet to be released, but promises to finally show listeners what happens when the two fae princes are reunited for the first time in years.Did HudCon break the Quinn app? (@) After going viral in the lead-up to the release of the first two episodes, the high traffic overwhelmed the app and caused users to experience technical issues. Some users reported being booted from the app while trying to listen to audio erotica, while others couldnt log in at all. Quinn said the popularity of the new audio caused the app to be overloaded, but it appears to have been a temporary problem, and the app is working normally again. How are people reacting?Ember & Ice started going viral before the audio was even released, with fans going feral for the sexy fairy prince photoshoot Williams and Storrie did to promote their audio erotica. The fervor has continued and at the time of publication the audio, which was only released at midnight PT on December 30, the first episode has already been listened to more than 160,000 times. (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) (@) When will episode 3 be released?The third and final episode of Ember & Ice will be released on the Quinn app on January 6, 2026 at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET.

What can we saywere just suckers for a supernatural sapphic. Like period pieces and coming-of-age stories, there can never be too many shows that follow a lesbian or bi character in a magical or fantasy setting.So if, like us, you cant get enough of this stuff, weve made a list of must-see supernatural shows featuring queer women in prominent and lead roles. These arent sci-fi or superhero shows, but strictly ones that take place in worlds of magic, wonder, and mythical creatures.Witches, vampires, mermaids, and even a bisexual succubusoh yeah, that sounds like the makings of a must-see binge list.BuffyNormal teenage girl Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar)s life gets turned upside down when she discovers that vampiresand all manner of creepy crawliesare real, and that its her destiny as the Chosen One to defeat them. While Buffy the Vampire Slayer may not be the queerest show by todays standards, it was groundbreaking and responsible for many a queer sexual awakening. Not only was the chemistry between Buffy and Faith (Eliza Dushku) absolutely wild, the love story between Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) will always have a special place in our hearts.Where to watch: HuluLost GirlThis fantasy series follows a bisexual succubus named Bo (Anna Silk), who refuses to align herself with either sideDark or Lightof the Fae kind, but rather uses her gifts to protect others caught in the corssfire. Along the way, she becomes entangled in a love triangle between a cop named Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) and a sexy doctor, Lauren Lewis (Zoie Palmer). Bi Fae representation? Yes, please! This show was an early example of a queer fantasy series that didnt shy away from the steamy stuff.Where to watch: CWThis series is Romeo and Juliet if they were both teenage girlsone a vampire and the other born to hunt vampires. Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) is a young vampire struggling to accept her nature and putting off her first kill, but this becomes more challenging and treacherous when she meets and then falls for Cal (Imani Lewis). Sparks fly between them despite the ancient feud between their families.Where to watch: NetflixFirst KillThis series is Romeo and Juliet if they were both teenage girlsone a vampire and the other born to hunt vampires. Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) is a young vampire struggling to accept her nature and putting off her first kill, but this becomes more challenging and treacherous when she meets and then falls for Cal (Imani Lewis). Sparks fly between them despite the ancient feud between their families.Where to watch: NetflixThe Last of UsThis aching and beautiful and queer post-apocalyptic drama follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a survivor of the fungal pandemic that turned the worlds population into zombies and took his family, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young lesbian who is miraculously immune. In season one, we see her first love in flashbacks, but season two is when her queerness really comes into focus.Where to watch: HBO MaxWynonna EarpThis supernatural Western(ish) series focuses on Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano), the great-great-granddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, who, with the help of his gun Peacemaker, is tasked with battling undead outlaws. Alongside her is her sister Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), who falls for the local deputy, Officer Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell), and its the cutest.Where to watch: TubiThe Haunting of Bly ManorInspired by the Henry James classic The Turn of the Screw, The Haunting of Bly Manor follows Dani (Victoria Pedretti), who becomes the new governess of two orphans following the tragic death of their previous au pair. As she begins uncovering dark secrets, she also finds herself falling in love with the gardener, Jamie (Amelia Eve).Where to watch: NetflixMotherland: Fort SalemThis series is set in an alternate timeline where the witches of Salem bargained for their freedom from persecution by making a deal to defend the country (I know, wild premise). It follows three witchesTally (Jessica Sutton), Abigail (Ashley Nicole Williams), and Raelle (Taylor Hickson)who are learning to harness their gifts. But best of all, Raelle is a big ol witchy lesbian who strikes up a romance with fellow cadet Scylla (Amalia Holm).Where to watch: Rent on Prime VideoSirenForget vampires and witchesI want a bisexual mermaid series! And thats exactly what you get with Siren, which follows Ryn (Eline Powell), a mermaid who washes ashore and enters the lives and hearts of two marine biologists, Ben (Alex Roe) and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola).Where to watch: HuluLegaciesThis series is the rare spin-off of a spin-off (The Vampire Diaries and then The Originals), but this supernatural show is set in a boarding school for supernatural teens. Naturally, its very queer and very dramaticand we loved it.Where to watch: NetflixThe Shannara Chroniclesfrequently shirtless Austin Butler for the gays? Well, youd get The Shannara Chronicles. This series focuses on Butlers Wil Ohmsford, a hero who must protect the world with the help of Elven princess Amberle (Poppy Drayton) and a rover named Eretria (Ivana Baquero) from a demon. Eretria is queer and finds a love interest in Princess Lyra (Vanessa Morgan).Where to watch: Rent on Prime VideoI Am Not OK With ThisThis sadly short-lived coming-of-age series (blame pandemic-related delays) stars Sophia Lillis as Sydney, a high schooler navigating both her burgeoning queerness and her mysterious, out-of-control superpowers. Puberty is so awkward.Where to watch: NetflixCharmed (2018)The original Charmed series will always have a special place in the hearts of queer gals of a certain age. Those Halliwell sisters were total babes, and naturally, the reboot was met with some suspicion. But not only did the new version follow a new set of sistersone of whom, Mel (Melonie Diaz), is a lesbianbut we were also immediately under her spell.Where to watch: NetflixAgatha All AlongOK, so technically this series is part of the Marvel superhero universe, but its all so witchy were calling it a loophole. And its also the gayest thing Disney has ever done. The series picks up after the events of WandaVision and follows Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) as she embarks on the Witches Road trials to regain her powers, with the help of a coven that includes Rio (Aubrey Plaza), who has insane chemistry with Agatha (but really, who doesnt Aubrey have chemistry with?).Where to watch: Disney+

Heated Rivalry took the world by storm, and had everyone falling in love with Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, but now that the first season is over, the countdown has begun for the premiere of season two. The first season of the show followed the plot of Rachel Reids rival-to-lovers hockey romance, and stars both the series' stars (Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie) and director Jacob Tierney have confirmed that the second season will be an adaptation of Shane and Ilyas sequel novel, The Long Game.The Long Game picks up a few years after the events of Heated Rivalry and while there is more emotional turmoil as Ilya struggles with his mental health, they rarely get to see each other, and the weight of their secret relationship becomes more than either can bear, the book is also filled with pages and pages of sinfully hot sex scenes just like the first novel.So if you loved the first season of Heated Rivalry for the intense yearning, emotional love story, and hot gay sex, youre in for a treat because season 2 is sure to gift you with more of all of that if the book is anything to go by. There are scenes in The Long Game that are just as moving and tender as when they have sex after saying I love you for the first time, and as hot and wild as the post-tuna melt frotting or the Hayden phone call sex. The only thing we don't want to see in season 2? Shane's manbun. The Long Game can keep that. But which sex scenes are we dying to see brought to screen, and which sweet moments are we keeping our fingers crossed dont get cut for time?Major spoiler warning for the book, and potentially the series below, so proceed accordingly! 1. Sex after Shane's mom leavesThe book starts with Shane and Ilya coaching hockey at their charity summer camp while Shanes mom stays at his house to help run it. This puts a damper on their sex life, but when they are finally alone again, Ilya forces Shane to tell him what he wants and then gives Shane a blow job before Shane takes control and rides Ilya until things get too intense and Ilya flips him over and has his way with Shane.2. Ilya stuck in trafficWhen Ilya gets stuck in traffic trying to make his way home to Shane, who is already getting himself ready for him, he tells Shane to get himself as close to the finish line as possible without going over and then has him repeat the process while Ilya tries to stay calm in the back of a taxi. As if that wasnt hot enough, the scene keeps going when Ilya arrives and calls Shane his impatient slut before finally taking over.3. Shane and Ilya's first weddingShane and Ilya may still be keeping their relationship a secret at this point, but when Haydens wife Jackie sprains her ankle, and they are asked to step in as babysitters, they get the wedding of their dreams. Haydens kids decide to throw Shane and Ilya an impromptu ceremony with plastic rings that is full of so much real emotion between the men that were sure our hearts will melt into a muddle of goo when we see it play out on our TV screens. 4. Halloween sexWhen Ilya sends Shane a photo of himself dressed up like a gladiator for the Halloween party he threw for his teammates, Shane gets so turned on he drives two hours to Ottawa to jump Ilyas bones, while wearing a butt plug during the entire drive. Not only is the scene hot as hell, but its a reminder of how much more confident Shane has gotten in the bedroom over the years.5. Sex in front of mirrorsThe night after Halloween, Shane finds Ilya looking gorgeous while working out in his home gym, and Ilya makes Shane watch himself while he comes as Ilya jerks him off from behind. The sex is hot, but Shane and Ilyas obsession with each other and how sexy they still find each other takes the cake.6. The proposalIn the Heated Rivalry novel, Ilya tells Shane that one day hes going to cover Shanes dock at the cottage in candles, get down on one knee, and ask him to marry him. But after Ilya almost dies in a plane crash, Shane cant wait any longer, so he surprises Ilya with a room full of candles. Shane gets down on one knee and tells Ilya, I choose you, Ilya. I promise I will always, always choose you, in a beautiful reference to a fight the two men had earlier in the book.7. More frottingIf you thought Shane and Ilya frotting on the couch at the end of the tuna melt scene was melt your brain hot, just wait until we hopefully get to see Ilya lay Shane out on his rug after the proposal and the two men bump and grind their way to amazing orgasms.8. Shane and Ilya's 'real' weddingWhile the wedding that Haydens kids officiated will remain the real wedding in the minds of many fans, Shane and Ilya do eventually have a real wedding in their backyard with all of their friends and Shane's parents. Not only are we hoping to see the wedding, but the moment when Shanes dad, David, helps Ilya put on his cuff links and get ready for his big day while explaining that he loves Ilya as a son.9. Ryan and FabianIlyas former teammate Ryan and his boyfriend Fabian play a pivotal role in The Long Game. Shane and Ilya go on a semi-secret double date with the two men, where Shane starts to realize that by hiding his relationship, hes also missed out on opportunities to connect with other gay people and embrace his own queerness. There is also a scene where Ilya and Shane attend one of Fabians concerts, which makes them both realize how much its killing them to keep their love in the shadows. This makes us wonder if season two might include some of Ryan and Fabians love story, which is detailed in Reids novel Tough Guy, the same way that we got Scott and Kips story in the first season of Heated Rivalry. 10. Troy and HarrisTroy and Harris love story takes place in book five of the Game Changer series, but both men play an incredibly important role in The Long Game, so we suspect theyll show up in season two of Heated Rivalry. Ilya befriends new player Troy and then becomes the first person Troy comes out to before encouraging Troy to pursue a relationship with the teams social media manager, Harris. When Troy comes out publicly, it makes Ilya realize how much he wants to do that himself and how much he craves being able to claim Shane as his in the light of day. 11. Shane explore Ilya's buttWhen Ilya is struggling and needs to get out of his own head, Shane helps him by taking over in the bedroom and adding a little anal play into their sex life. Shane and Ilya always stick to their roles in the bedroom, but while Ilya doesnt like to bottom, Shane says that sometimes he needs a little something extra when hes having a hard time mentally. 12. All-Star Weekend hookupShane and Ilya may be able to have sex in their homes at this point, but things get extra spicy when they are forced to have hotel sex again, like they used to. During All-Star Weekend, Shane sneaks into Ilyas hotel room, where Ilya proceeds to very slowly and torturously take Shane apart while they can hear their teammates right outside the door. Its secret and illicit and extremely hot.13. Trophy room sexMuch like the tuna melt scene in the first book, the trophy room scene is one that fans always talk about, and for good reason. Its one of the hottest sex scenes in the book where Ilya takes it upon himself to remind Shane who the fuck you are by bending Shane over in front of all of his trophies and awards, taking him from behind while he uses a vibrating cock ring on him. Then, when Ilya asks him if hes turned on by his many accomplishments, Shane tells Ilya, Its you. Its only you.

Queer shows on Netflix (and queer shows in general) may find large audiences, but unfortunately, not long enough to last more than just one season. Several factors go into the decision to cancel a show, but more often than not, those shows happen to be queer shows like Boots, Olympo, Q-Force, Glamorous, and so many more.Boots had the potential to tell an engaging, heartfelt story, being that it was a coming-of-age narrative following a young gay man in the Marine Corps. It was based on the novel The Pink Marine, written by Greg Cope White, and, given that the author himself played a role in the show, there was a lot the series could unpack. However, Netflix announced its cancellation earlier this month to the disappointment of the shows cast.If theres Boots-sized hole in your heart, there are a number of movies and television shows that exist in a similar vein: media that centers a person discovering more about themselves in a military setting. Here are a few shows and movies with a comparable premise to Boots:'Burning Blue' (Peacock)The movie Burning Blue may not be on most people's radar, but it definitely should be. It is a queer drama centered around an investigation into accidents that took place on a U.S. Naval base during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era of the military, which uncovers a gay love affair. The 2013 movie features The Gilded Age's Morgan Spector.'The Inspection' (Rent/Buy on Amazon)Jeremy Pope is an acting force to be reckoned with, and this movie is no different. Pope plays Ellis French, a young queer man who has little choice but to join the military to prove his worth to his estranged mother (played fabulously by Gabrielle Union) and to himself. Though he endures the grueling work of boot camp, while dealing with homophobia from a fellow recruit and the drill instructor who badly hazes him, he at the same time finds camaraderie and strength in this new group of people. He also develops feelings for one of the officers played by Looking's Ral Castillo.'We Are Who We Are' (HBO Miniseries)This quiet show, which airs on HBO Max, was created by Luca Guadagnino and released in 2020. It follows a group of young American teenagers living on a military base in Italy and the awkwardness of discovering ones identity in a completely foreign country. It has Guadagninos signature style and is helmed by a talented young actor named Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays the shows main protagonist, and hes joined by Chlo Sevigny (who plays one of his two mothers), Kid Cudi, and Martin Scorseses daughter Francesca.'Firebird' (Rent/Buy on Amazon)Firebird didnt receive widespread critical acclaim, but that doesnt mean its not worth watching. The movie takes place at a Soviet Air Force base during the Cold War. It follows a young soldier, Sergey (played by Tom Prior), who falls head over heels for an enigmatic fighter pilot, Roman (played by Oleg Zagorodnii). The two begin a torrid love affair that could put their lives in danger if theyre ever caught, so they sneak around while trying not to get caught.Young Royals (Netflix)If you want to watch a show with a bit more than just one season, we would recommend watching Young Royals. The show centers on a fictional Swedish prince, Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), and his budding romance with fellow boarding school student Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg). While its not centered around the military per se, it still deals with a secret romance during the coming-of-age period in a young adults life.'Blood & Water' (Netflix)Netflix's Blood & Water aligns with the streamer's other dramas centered on teens. The show follows a young woman named Puleng (Ama Qamata) who transfers to a high-class school where she believes that one of the students may be her sister, who was kidnapped at birth. The fast-paced drama features several queer characters and is filled to the brim with drama.'Fellow Travelers' (Showtime)Are you surprised this show made it onto the list? No? Well, good because it's just that good. If you aren't familiar with Fellow Travelers, the steamy period drama starring Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer, note that it's not for the faint of heart. In this show, the actors play two political figures who engage in a stimulating physical relationship during the Lavender Scare and McCarthyism era of the 1950s.

If you were on the fence about buying a ticket to see Marty Supreme in theaters, we have a brand new reason it will be worth the price of admission: Timothe Chalamets derrire.While some actors choose to use prosthetics or body doubles to film nude or intimate scenes, Chalamet decided to decline using a butt double during a scene where he was being spanked. Before you start thinking Marty Supreme is a kinky film, the scene involves entrepreneur Milton Rockwell (played by Shark Tanks Kevin OLeary) offering table tennis champ Marty Mauser (Chalamet) the opportunity to play in the upcoming World Championships if he agrees to be spanked with a paddle in front of a room full of people. But in a new interview with Variety, OLeary revealed that Chalamet refused to use a body double for the pivotal scene. When it came time to whack him, there was a stunt ass. There was a double, OLeary said. [Chalamet] wouldnt do it. He said hell do it himself. He didnt want some other ass immortalized. Despite it being Chalamets real backside, the shoot wasnt easy. To soften the blow, OLeary was supposed to use a fake paddle, but the prop broke on the first whack, and he had to swap it out for a real one. Then, the scene went on for hours because director Josh Safdie demanded they do 40 takes that lasted until 4 a.m. Josh was saying, Youve got to wind up harder,' OLeary recalled. I was really whacking him.

Heated Rivalry has successfully taken over the zeitgeist in a way that is unusual now that the days of mono culture are behind us, and for a queer show to do it is almost unheard of.Queer as Folk and The L Word had huge followings, but Heated Rivalry might be the first gay TV show to truly pique the interest of straight men.The gay hockey romance show had a built-in audience of queer people and women who loved the book it was based on, but the most surprising development is how many straight men have fallen in love with Shane and Ilya, too. Heated Rivalry, a show about two rival hockey players who engaged in a nearly decade-long secret relationship that starts as just sex but ends up being true love, is all about yearning, intense love scenes, and moments of domesticity and tenderness among gay men that we dont normally get to see on our TV screens. And yet, there are straight male podcasters, YouTubers, and husbands on social media who have given the show a chance and ended up connecting with the characters and getting just as caught up in the love story as the rest of us. There is something incredibly powerful and cathartic about straight men and sports fans at that watching a queer romance and being open-minded enough to love it when so many LGBTQ+ have awful memories of being tormented by jocks, and the show itself is about two closeted men who are terrified of the homophobic reactions of hockey fans and their own teammates.Conservative politicians in the United States may have made it their mission to strip queer and trans people of their rights, but this feels like a vibe shift in the culture. If even straight male hockey fans can adore a gay show full of tenderness, sex, and uniquely queer struggles, then maybe there is hope for us after all. Empty Netters@yourboyt13Now this is the future for men i want @Empty Netters #heatedrivalry #shanehollander #viral #straightmen #funnyThe Empty Netters is a sports podcast hosted by three straight hockley bros who decided to review Heated Rivalry. When they started watching the show, they immediately gave it a chance and even had fun talking about the gay sex scenes with Dan Powers even commenting that during the Las Vegas sex scene, there was a massive missed opportunity" to have Ilya "sniff the underwear after Shane threw them at him. @lovelies715BEST QUOTE OF 2025 My hope for every closeted person is that when they come out they will have a cottage waiting for them Dan @Empty Netters #heatedrivalry #connorstorrie #hudsonwilliams #trending #emptynettersBut by the time they were live reacting to episode 6, they got emotional because of the way Shane's dad reacted to seeing him kissing Ilya, and Powers said he that his hope for every gay person who decides to come out is that "when you step out of the closet, you step into the cottage."GravitehHockey fan Graviteh connected with the characters and ended up loving how heartwarming the show is, how much Ilya and Shane opened up while at the cottage, and was dissppointed that there were only six episodes. Reel RejectsThe two straight male hosts of Reel Rejects got just as emotionally invested in the love story as the rest of us.@a_girlandhercatsHe cried like I knew he would. @reelrejects #heatedrivalry #shanehollander #ilyarozanov #heatedrivalrytvshow #booktokrecsOne of the Reel Rejects guys even cried when Scott brought Kip onto the ice after winning the Stanley Cup and kissed him in front of the world, and cried again when Shane talked to his mom about being gay.What Chaos!The two straight hosts of the hockey fan podcast What Choas! became big fans of the show and were even blown away by Scott Hunter's big speech at the beginning of the finale episode, and were outraged that Kip wasn't with him at the award show.@whatchaosHeated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney on what's coming in Season 2...and Season 3?! #heatedrivalry #hbo #tv #hockey #hockeylifeThey even had director Jacob Tierney on the show to talk about season two. Reel TimeThe three straight male hosts of Reel Time watched Heated Rivalry, and one of the hosts even admitted to his eyes bouncing back and forth between Ilya and Shane's butts during the shower scene in the first episode. TikTok husband@jwooohooDidnt even bat an eye #heatedrivalry #hockeyromance #husbandreactsSome women even took to TikTok to show their husbands the show and were pleasantly surprised by how much they loved it.Who could have guessed that a sexually charged gay hockey romance would be the thing that would unite queer people and straight men? But if this is the first step in a sea change that allows more gay people to live out loud and proud, we're all for it! You might even call it a game changer.

For queer people, 2025 was a rocky year. There were a number of celebrities who felt emboldened to come out this year and share pieces of themselves with their fans, sharing their partners, etc., which was a bright spot in an otherwise relatively bleak year. 2025 started off with President Donald Trump's second term, and since then, chaos has been the theme. From ICE raids to the villainization of queer people, the administration has made it its mission to attack anyone who doesn't submit to fascism.No matter what social media platform you use, it's impossible to escape the horrors of government officials turning back the clock on progress. The internet used to be a place for people to escape what's going on in the world. And in some ways, there's still the possibility of that being true with some of the most viral queer moments of the year. The picks for this year's list are a collection of moments that took over everyone's feed in one way or another in 2025.This year's list includes things like Karla Sofa Gascn's unearthed racist tweets (because yes, that was this year, even though it feels like it happened last year) and "Funeral Stud" becoming a viral sensation with her song "I Wish That Heaven Had a Phone."Here's our list of the top viral moments in queer culture in 2025.2025 was the year of 'cruising' discourseQueer culture never stays contained within the community. Those on the outskirts of queerness have always had a morbid curiosity for how the LGBTQ+ folk engage in different activities, including things like "cruising," and queer people argue about whether or not these insular secrets should be made public and what harm that could cause.The start of this discourse came in July, when The New Yorker published an article about Sniffies, detailing its features, how it's used, and what it's used for. The piece was written by a woman named Emily Witt, which caused another wave of outrage by the app's mostly queer male user base, who felt that the publication should "stay out of gay people's business."In August, The Cut published a story titled "We've Reached Peak Gay Sluttiness," in which the author writes about gay hookup culture and Sniffies. Not too soon after the two publications published their stories, news broke of an Amtrak Police Department operation targeting a Penn Station bathroom that is listed on Sniffies as a cruising hotspot.On social media platforms like X and Instagram, users debated whether or not this newfound attention to an app like Sniffies, which digitized cruising culture, has put the community in harm's way. But the internet was fed with even more fuel after The Cut published yet another story on the topic titled "Can Cruising Survive Influencers?" and it looked at how the once obscure activity is being broadcast far and wide on the internet.Karla Sofa Gascn's fiery descent from awards show darling to disgraced dollEmilia Prez was a frontrunner this past awards season, and the movie's star, Karla Sofa Gascn, was a critics' favorite to win some of the biggest prizes. At this year's Oscar's, she made history as the first out trans woman to be nominated in the Best Actress category and things were going smoothly (or as well as things could go for a controversial movie) until a journalist named Sarah Hagi unearthed Gascn's offensive tweets about Muslim people, the killing of George Floyd, anti-Chinese and anti-Catalan statements, as well as saying the 2021 Oscars were an "Afro-Korean festival."Her heinous tweets were spread all across social media. In case people forgot, in one of her posts, she wrote, "Im Sorry, Is it just my impression or is there more muslims in Spain? Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school, there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels. Next year, instead of English, well have to teach Arabic.A month before the Oscars ceremony, in February, she apologized for the posts, saying, "I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt." She continued, "As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well, and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain."To further stop the hemorrhaging of support, she did an "unauthorized" interview on CNN en Espaol with the host, in which she was very emotional and refused to drop out of the Best Actress race. Gascn still attended the ceremony this year but lost to Mikey Madison.KATSEYE's addicting GAP adThis video is like a Renaissance painting. You can find something you didn't notice before with every new watch. In a year when the world was forced to see Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans ad take over the internet for weeks because of its alleged white-supremacist dog whistles, we can all rest a bit easier when we remember the gift that the emerging girl group KATSEYE gave us with this GAP ad.Every single girl is an impeccable dancer, and their moves are hypnotic to watch. They ooze charisma on screen, flashing little smirks and winks throughout the video. The choreography became an internet obsession in its own right as people attempted to recreate it.Dan and Phil admit they're boyfriends after almost two decades of datingDan Howell and Phil Lester have been making YouTube videos together since 2006, and after almost two years of speculation, rumors, and fan fiction, the two officially confirmed that they have been dating this whole time. In the video they posted two months ago, the two YouTubers revealed that they fell in love back in 2009 and decided to keep their relationship a secret because Howell wasn't out to his friends and family. "This is why all of the digging from people online hit a nerve, because Phil was my safe space. You were my first boyfriend... You were a literal ray of light in my life back then," Howell said.The couple then announced a new podcast they started together called Hard Launch with Dan and Phil. In the video where they shared the news of the show, they both agreed that announcing their relationship was "a huge relief" and that they felt "a weight had been lifted."Connor Franta feeds the 'Tronnor Truthers'In other relationship-confirmation news, Connor Franta finally confirmed that he and Troye Sivan dated in their early YouTube days. For those who don't know, yes, Troye Sivan started out as a YouTuber before transitioning into music full-time, and back in the early 2010s, he was hanging out with all the big YouTubers Tyler Oakley, Zoe Sugg (Zoella), and of course, Franta. At the time, Oakley and Sivan were close friends, often collaborating on videos, but people also began to notice that Sivan and Franta were hanging out more.Their relationship was kept under wraps for years until the Aussie YouTuber/singer put out his second album, Bloom, which included a song called "Good Side" that many speculated was about Franta. Last year, Franta appeared on the Obsessed with Brooke Averick podcast and shared that he and a former boyfriend were obsessed with Chappell Roan in her early days of making music. Then, internet sleuths found a throwback photo of Franta and Sivan posing with Roan, which many felt confirmed they dated.Then, this past August, Sivan posted a photo of himself and Roan with Franta cropped out, but he insists it was just a photo he found when he googled his and Roan's names together. It seems as though Franta found it shady and then posted a picture with Sivan cropped out, captioned "my good side," a reference to the 2018 song rumored to be about him.To finally clear things up, Franta put out a video where he went into vague details about a relationship he had for two years back in 2014. He ended his video by responding to the lyrics, "I'm sure we'll meet in the spring/And catch up on everything/I'll say I'm proud of all that you've done," by saying, "The final words I have are actually for him, so if you happen to be watching this, I just want to let you know that Im proud of you, too. For every single thing that youve done."Nicki Minaj embraces the right and stays in the wrongAs a society, we need to leave celebrities and influencers who embrace and are embraced by right-wing pundits in 2025. One of the least surprising people to come out as a Republican this year is Nicki Minaj. Ever since she soft-launched as an anti-vaxxer back in 2021, the world kept an eye out for more troubling signs from the Queens rapper, and in 2025, she came out to the world as a Republican.Fans saw her online interactions with her fellow female rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B as worrying signs, not politically, but just personally. Especially earlier this year, when her years-long beef with Cardi came to a head on X as the two traded jabs online and even made comments about each other's children.Not too long after their spat on X, Minaj openly professed her support for President Donald Trump online, complimenting him on his efforts to combat the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. She was then invited to speak at the United Nations by Mike Waltz, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, which she accepted.Her descent into MAGA-dom didn't stop there. She's openly made transphobic remarks on social media and at her final nail-in-the-coffin appearance at Turning Point USA with Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika. On X, she responded to California Gov. Gavin Newsom saying that he "wants to see trans kids" exist, saying, "Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids. Haha." She continued, "Not even a trans ADULT would run on that. Normal adults wake up & think they want to see HEALTHY, SAFE, HAPPY kids. Not Gav. The Gav Nots. GavOUT. Send in the next guy, Im bored.Then, at her horrendous Turning Point appearance, she said, "Boys, be boys. Be boys. Its ok. Be boys. Theres nothing wrong with being a boy. How about that? How powerful is that? How profound is that?Neace 'Funeral Stud' Robinson's emotional plea for heaven to get a phoneWhat we won't be doing in 2026 is acting like "I Wish Heaven Had a Phone" isn't a good song. Neace Robinson, AKA "Funeral Stud," went viral earlier this year after her performance at a funeral, where she posted a video of herself singing. In it, she's singing her own original song, which she released back in 2018, and people especially loved two parts of the song. The first is when she repeats, "Lord, I got some things I need to say," and the second is when she says, "1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release" before jumping right back into the chorus of the song.The original video garnered over 53 million views and over seven million likes on TikTok. Soon after her rise to viral fame, she became a meme that people recreated online. That newfound attention led Robinson to put out a new music video for the song and a multi-city tour stopping in Portland, Denver, Seattle, and more.Jeffree Star has never done a good job of pretending to be anything other than a RepublicanFor those who don't know Jeffree Star, they might have been surprised to see him throw transgender and nonbinary people under the bus to make his shift to full-fledged right-wing influencer. The one constant thing that Star has been concerned about throughout the entirety of his career is money, and he is going to get as much of it as possible by whatever means necessary even if that means selling out his queer fans to be embraced by the culturally relevant conservative population.Fans started getting hints of Star's distaste for nonbinary people back in 2023 after he went on a Barstool Sports podcast called "Bussin' with the Boys," where he said that they/them pronouns were made up during the pandemic because people were "bored" and said that gender neutral pronouns were "stupid" and "extra." During his appearance, he said, "Youre not they and them. Youre trans ... youre male, or youre female."Following Charlie Kirk's assassination in September, the world fully saw a different side of Star after he made a video lambasting people for joking about Kirk's death, saying that Kirk "encouraged everyone to speak about their beliefs, whether he believed them or not." He saw a lot of support from users online, and after that, he went full tilt.In November, he said that he is "not gay" and "is just open and very me," right before saying that the LGBTQ+ acronym shouldn't include the "Q" or the "T."Ice Spice's prophetic ear worm, 'SpongeBob big guy pants okay"In many ways, Ice Spice is an oracle. She knows the correct combination of words that mobilize a large group of people. They're so distinct and singular to her style of "lackadaisical rap" that she's never been imitated. If you think about it, the idea of someone picking Ice Spice a Bronx rapper known for explicit lyrics, many of which include "poop," "shit," and "fart" for a Spongebob Squarepants movie is kind of ingenious.I, as well as many other people, didn't expect to be enraptured by the lyricism on the Ice Spice SpongeBob song, especially when she raps, "SpongeBob big guy pants okay." The first time I heard it, I couldn't stop saying it because of the arrangement of words in that phrase. But I'm not the only one; the song found a life of its own online. The audio for the song was used in over 1.9 million TikTok videos, with people performing the dance that's associated with the song.

Hello Out readers! It's officially the end of the year!As 2025 ends, let's take a look back at some of the highlights of the year! This year, plenty of celebs, big and small, came out! Pitch Perfect star Anna Camp came out, as did singers Lola Young, Tanner Adell, and Lara and Megan from Katseye!The 2025 Out100 was another brilliant celebration of the best and brightest queer talent, including Boots star Miles Heizer, Frankie Grande, and Out100 cover star Niecy Nash-Betts!This was also a great year for queer movies, music, and new relationships! Our favorite songs of the year include tracks by Kehlani, Rosala, Conan Gray, and more!Rosala also has one of our favorite albums of the year by a queer artist! That list also includes Lady Gaga, Lambrini Girls, Tyler, the Creator, and Cardi B!If you're more of the film or TV type, we've also got lists of the best queer films and best queer tv of the year!To round out our end-of-year roundup, we've also got this list of 15 queer couples who hard-launched their relationships this year!Keep reading to find out all the best pop culture news!- Mey RudeThis psychic-medium wants you to start the new year by trusting yourselfFor her next act, Lydia B Kollins flips 'Drag Race' on its headagainConnor Storrie & Hudson Williams play horny gay fairies in a new erotica & the internet is feralWill's coming out episode in 'Stranger Things 5' is now the series' lowest-ratedZohran Mamdani: Save a horse, play a yet-unreleased Kim Petras album13 lesbian supernatural shows & where to stream themFinance for the gays: Nick Wolny's 'Money Proud' turns oop into opulence'Heated Rivalry' season 2: every steamy & romantic moment from the book we can't wait to see30 LGBTQ+ shows canceled after just one season (gone too soon!)Will came out in 'Stranger Things,' but did we like it?Woman Crush WednesdayKate Winslet is our Woman Crush this week! The Oscar-winner recently revealed that her first intimate experiences were with women!Get Out / The Advocate in your physical mailbox too!Get a year's subscription of The Advocate and Out Magazine for just $9.95.

Local MAGA officials in Tarrant County, Texas flipped when they learned an Episcopal priest was hosting a Pride event on church property.So they disinvited him from giving the invocation at a city council meeting last week. Related Greg Abbott is removing rainbow crosswalks. This church found a way to fight back. The Rev. Alan Bentrup pastor at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Keller, Texas decided to host the Pride event after a woman told him that if thered been one when her son was younger, he might not have died by suicide, The Dallas Morning News reported.When MAGA loyalists got wind of the festival, all eyes turned to the drag queen scheduled to perform a family-friendly number at the event. 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 Keyboard warriors dug up what they described as Madame Lexicals violent language against conservatives. Local GOP chair Bo French went off the rails over the repulsive transgender rap artist.'There is no place in civil society for this kind of violent degeneracy, he posted to social.Leftists, and specifically the mentally deranged trans community, have declared war on the right. It is time all of our leaders, from the Trump Administration down to the local level, put a stop to all of this immediately. We should not allow the continued incitement of violence by leftists towards the right.Lexical was dropped from the festival, which drew about 700 attendees, 140 vendors, and not much protest after the initial blow-up a few months ago.But Pastor Bentrup wouldnt get off that easy. After enduring online threats before and after the event, he showed up last week to give the invocation at a city council meeting and was unceremoniously dropped from the program. A staff member claimed the invocation had been double-booked.Like the good Christian he is, Bentrup took the opportunity during public comment to thank the community for their support for the Pride festival, and police for handling threats against him and making sure the event ran smoothly.His undelivered invocation wouldve called on council members to make decisions that bend toward justice, tilt toward mercy, and lead toward peace. But Bentrup also called out the towns MAGA mayor, Armin Mizani whos running for the Texas state House and denounced the Pride festival in the run-up to the event for dismissing threats of violence directed at him and the festival.That soon drew the MAGA loyalists wrath, and an admission that the invocation double-booking was just an excuse not to elevate someone who is out of step with the majority of our community and its values.Delivering the opening prayer before Keller City Council meetings is a privilege, not a right, Mizani posted to Facebook.It would be irresponsible for the Keller City Council to elevate an individual to lead us in prayer who offended a large majority of our residents when he recently welcomed children to attend an event that exposed them to male drag performers. We will not apologize for or equivocate on this decision. An unfortunate Facebook back-and-forth followed. Calls by Bentrup for support, care, love, and community were met by accusations that the pastor was trolling for clout.One observation from the priest stood out from the rest, in a town riven with the politics of MAGA.If offering a prayer grounded in love, dignity, care, and respect for all people disqualifies someone from praying for this city, then we all should ask what community values really mean here, he wrote.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Elon Musk thinks its okay to post a picture of someone in the bathroom without that persons consentas long as the person is transgender.The Global Government Affairs department at X has posted that the company is offering legal support in the case of a far-right Republican activist in Texas who posted just such a photo on X in 2023. Michelle Evans, who is now head of the Williamson County Republican Party, is being investigation and facing criminal charges for posting the photo. She in turn has sued the Travis County district attorney for violating her free speech rights. Musks interest in Evans case apparently stems from the intersection of protecting Xs right-wing bent and his own transphobia. Musk has a transgender daughter whom he says is dead because she transitioned. The X post decries the Fifth Circuits misguidedand dangerous opinion and promises to help Evans pursue an appeal to all 17 judges on the Circuit bench. We look forward to the full Fifth Circuit correcting this wrong and preserving free speech, which isthe foundation of American democracy, the post said.The incident triggering Evans legal problems began after she posted the photo. Evans was attending a session of the Texas state legislature while it debated a bill banning health care for trans youth. When she went to the restroom, she saw a transgender activist, whom she confronted. After she returned to her seat, she saw that someone else had taken a photo of the woman washing her hands. Evans reposted the photo on X, complaining about the woman using the bathroom. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Evans post attracted enough attention that the Department of Public Safety questioned her and took her phone. Travis County District Attorney Jos Garza began investigating Evans for violating a state law that makes it a felony to transmit a visual image of another in a bathroom or changing room or promoting such a transmission if the action is done without consent and with intent to invade the privacy of the other person.Evans quickly filed her own lawsuit against Garza, claiming the investigation violated her right to free speech, which her suit says allows her to speak about matters of public concern, including the presence of a transgender activist, male politician in the ladies room at the Texas Capitol. She wanted a permanent injunction prohibiting Garza from investigating her. That argument flopped with the U.S. District Court of Appeals. Earlier this month, in a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the investigation can go forward. A little more than a week after the Courts decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the launch of a tip line that allows people to report on suspected trans people they believe are violating the states new bathroom ban.In astatementannouncing the tip line, Paxton said the Texas Womens Privacy Act which requires people in public buildings to use bathrooms based on sex assigned at birth was passed to ensure that women and girls in Texas are protected from mentally ill men wanting to violate their basic right to privacy. Evans and Paxton have been working together to enforce their ultra-conservative agenda. Evans has been pushing the school district where her son goes to school to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Paxton recently sued that district and another one for not doing so. The tip line seems like a direct response to Evans loss in court.Evans may have an uphill fight to justify her post. Sanford Levinson, a law professor at the University of Texas, told the CBS affiliate in Austin that the law is pretty clear. Shes arguing that the DA doesnt have a choice, that it would be unconstitutional for him to prosecute her. And, you know, I dont see it. She clearly violated the law, said Levinson, the fact that somebody else took the picture seems to be irrelevant the way its written. Because it seems to say that if you have a picture of somebody in a bathroom, whether you took it or somebody else took it youre not supposed to make it public. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

2025 saw massive changes in a lot of domains economic policy, technological development, international relations and LGBTQ+ rights issues. There was a sea of difference between the policy agendas of the previous and current presidents, and Donald Trump wasted no time, often skirting the law, in implementing his policy vision.LGBTQ+ people saw regression in many policy areas, but there were also some signs of cultural progress.Here are the six most impactful LGBTQ+ news stories of the year, the stories that changed peoples lives and that will be remembered in future decades, for better or for worse.6. Sarah McBride became the first out transgender person to serve in Congress 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 What was the story: In 2024, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) was elected to represent Delawares at-large congressional district, and she was sworn in on January 3, 2025, along with the other new members.Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gaveher a cold welcome to D.C. in late 2024, fighting to ban her from using Capitol restrooms simply because of her identity. McBride shook it off, insisting that she wanted to focus on representing her state rather than debating bathroom policy with Republicans. Why it matters: McBride was likely the first out trans person many people at the Capitol met, and she received considerable media coverage throughout the year, portraying her as a passionate lawmaker, an engaging social media presence, and a relatable human being. While she had no control over the bathroom policy at the Capitol since Republicans hold a majority of both chambers, she was able to exercise influence on trans issues behind the scenes. Several of her colleagues including Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Becca Balint (D-VT) talked to the media about her work to persuade movable Republicans to support trans rights or at least leave trans people alone. The newest LGBTQ+ members of Congress are fired up & ready to serve 5. The Supreme Court rejected Kim Davis attempt to overturn marriage equality 10 years after its Obergefell v. Hodges decisionWhat was the story: Clerk Kim Davis of Rowan County, Kentucky, has been involved in legal processes around her refusal to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples for a decade, as Obergefell v. Hodges the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized marriage equality across the country celebrated its 10-year anniversary in June.Davis latest appeal asked the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell and end marriage equality, arguing that letting same-sex couples marry is discriminatory against Christians.In November, the Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal, ensuring that marriage equality will remain legal, at least for the near future.Why it matters: One of the many fears that LGBTQ+ people had with the start of the second Trump administration and with the increasingly reactionary Supreme Court which overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 was that marriage equality would end, either at the hands of the administration, which has little regard for the law, or the Court, which has little regard for precedent. Despite the fact that he has never supported it, the president has shown no interest in ending marriage equality in his second term. And with the Court declining to hear Davis appeal, it seems that the justices dont want to touch that decision either. Several of the Courts conservatives said as much in interviews this year.Another anti-marriage Christian is asking federal courts to end marriage equality, also claiming that the mere existence of same-sex married couples is a form of anti-Christian discrimination. Marriage equality has been around for 10 years and has become part of the fabric of American society, but it looks like the lawsuits to end it will not be stopping anytime soon. Kim Davis loses again: Court denies qualified immunity bid for denying gay couples marriage licenses 4. Donald Trump bans trans people from the militaryWhat was the story: Trump signed an executive order in January banning trans people from serving in the military. The order was transparent in its transphobia, saying that trans people, because of their identities, cannot be honorable, truthful, and disciplined.In May, the Supreme Court let the administration go through with removing transgender service members and banning their recruitment while lawsuits against the administration proceeded. The Defense Department moved to immediately implement the policy, which is expected to end the careers of 15,000 to 25,000 service members, according to the trans military organization SPARTA Pride. Why it matters:The Obama administration, which also pushed Congress to end the ban on gay and bisexual people serving in the military, allowed trans people to serve openly. In his first term, Trump banned trans people from serving in the military, but his ban came several months into his first term, was originally issued on Twitter, suffered from poor implementation, and faced roadblocks in federal courts. Ultimately, trans servicemembers were able to run the clock until Joe Biden took office and ended the trans military ban. Trumps second military ban was implemented earlier in his administration and more competently, which is why it has already taken effect. Transphobia is a much stronger motivating force for Republicans now in the 2020s, and Trump has dispensed with any pretense of following procedures and norms for new policies. The federal government is the largest employer in the country and is influential in determining how workers get treated in the private sector. While the administration has engaged in numerous anti-trans policies this year, this one is particularly likely to justify future discrimination. Donald Trump bans trans people from serving in the military in hateful executive order 3. Off-year elections show that anti-trans attacks dont work as Democrats sweepWhat was the story: When Republicans won the White House and both chambers of Congress in November 2024, many on the left asked how a plurality of voters could back a convicted felon, an adjudicated sex abuser, a former president with a poor record on policy, and an increasingly demented old man to be the leader of the free world. And many liberals blamed trans rights. While some Democrats outright said that the party should scale back its defenses of equality for trans people, others described helping trans people as a burden that the Democratic Party would have to carry.But whatever alignment of flukes put Trump in office appears to have subsided in the months since he took office. His approval rating has cratered and, in Novembers off-year elections, Democrats scored major wins across the country, including governorships in Virginia and New Jersey and the mayors office in New York City. Why it matters: Republicans tried the 2024 anti-trans playbook again sometimes using the exact language that Trump used against Kamala Harris and still failed to win their elections. The Republican candidate for Virginia governor Winsome Earle-Sears went all-in on anti-trans attacksagainst her opponent and stilllost by a large marginin November, while Democrats made gains in the states legislature.New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who has made anti-LGBTQ+ statements, also lost his election bid. Democrats also won court elections in Pennsylvania, ballot initiatives in California, and local races in Georgia. Pennsylvania even elected its first out transgender mayor.Things are starting to look up for LGBTQ+ equality supporters if the trends continue until the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats sweep in historic races across the country: This is as big as it gets 2. Supreme Court issues devastating ruling allowing Tennessee to implement its gender-affirming care banWhat was the story: In June, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that states could ban trans youth from accessing gender-affirming care, even while those same states allowed cisgender kids to access the same treatments for the same reason. While trans advocates argued that it was discriminatory both on the basis of sex and transgender status to ban access to health care for trans kids, the Courts argument was that discriminating on the basis of a gender dysphoria diagnosis is somehow different, and constitutional.Why it matters: Over half of the states have passed gender-affirming care bans in the last five years, even though such care has been around for decades. This was part of a massive, nationwide moral panic about trans youth that Republicans have been using to rally their base for elections, and courts are the last resort to stop such discriminatory policies from being implemented. This ruling will limit the health care that millions of trans people can access, forcing many of them to either get their care from less-than-legal sources or experience the permanent effects of the wrong puberty. Moreover, the ruling has already been used by lower courts to justify further discrimination against transgender people, including adults. Supreme Court issues devastating ruling for trans youth in Tennessee gender-affirming care ban case 1. Donald Trump forces the federal government to do everything it can to end equal rights for trans peopleWhat was the story: In his first day in office, Trump signed 200 executive actions, memoranda, and proclamations rolling back Bidens policies on numerous issues, but one was particularly harmful for trans people: an executive order entitled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.This executive order defined biological sex in terms of gametes and said that all federal departments and agencies must define gender in terms of sex assigned at birth and remove all communications that inculcate gender ideology, which is a fairly hostile way of describing the idea that trans people exist. Why it matters: Throughout the year, policy after policy was issued by the federal government rolling back protections and rights for transgender people, all citing this executive order. Passports were issued with the wrong gender markers, universities were pressured to ban trans athletes, trans women were housed with male inmates and the federal government started suing states to force them to implement the executive order, too. This executive order is now one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the history of the country. Donald Trump signs executive order rolling back many transgender rights & protections Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

County commissioners in Randolph County, North Carolina, voted earlier this month to dissolve the countys entire library board in response to trustees earlier vote against banning a trans-inclusive childrens book.According to theRandolph Hub, a local news outlet, in October, the Randolph County Public Library Board of Trustees denied a patrons request to remove the picture bookCall Me Maxfrom the librarys childrens section. Related School calls transgender book inappropriate & offers counseling to kids who heard it Author Kyle Lukoffs 2019 childrens book the first in a series of picture books about the title character follows a young transgender boys coming-out journey at school and eventually to his parents. As public radio station WFDD notes, the book is the only one of the nearly 20,000 books in the librarys childrens collection to so much as mention gender identity.Trustees reasoned that young children are already required to be accompanied by adults who can review the books they want to check out from the library, while some members also said that removing the book would lead to a slippery slope. 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 Randolph County residents who wanted to see the book banned took the issue to county commissioners. Forty community members spoke both for and against the library board at a December 8 public hearing on the issue.Among those who spoke were library board trustees Steve Grove and Betty Armfield. Grove explained that trustees rely on highly trained librarians when deciding what material belongs on library shelves, while Armfield said the board had adhered to its own rules and its responsibility to serve the entire community. Following public comment, Chairman Darrell Frye reportedly spoke about a family member who took their own life after being brainwashed on social media.Its about, to me, exposing a child before its able to make a decision. Its personal to me, Frye said, according to the Randolph Hub. Ultimately, the five commissioners voted 32 in favor of a resolution to remove the library board and dissolve its existing bylaws, WFDD reported.While Commissioners Hope Haywood and David Allen voted against the resolution, their comments during and after the hearing did not suggest they fully support keeping Call Me Max in the librarys childrens section.To me, its not about a book but about procedure. For what reason are we banning the board? There are other ways to do this without dissolving the board, Allen said, according to the Randolph Hub. Haywood, meanwhile, suggested that she supported changing existing library policy rather than abolishing the board altogether. Speaking to WFDD, Haywood seemed to suggest that the county commissioners had no plan for the library board beyond dismantling it. Three commissioners felt like, just abolish the board and then figure it out, she said.Lukoff responded to news of his books role in the debacle in a December 10 Instagram post.A librarys entire board of trustees was fired and replaced because they refused to ban one of my books, he wrote. Its so terrible. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kyle Lukoff (@kylelukoffwrites) Responding to a comment from fellow childrens book author Tracey Baptiste, Lukoff added, I just feel so bad for the people who live in that community and love their library.This is certainly not the first time Lukoffs book has been at the center of a local controversy. In 2021, a Utah school district shut down its literacy program for reevaluation after a teacher read Call Me Max in class. That same year, parents in one Texas community called for a teacher who read the book to her fourth-grade class to be fired, and the school district offered counseling to her students.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth joined forces with one of social medias most vitriolic anti-trans campaigners last week to drum a Navy Commander out of the service over her support for transgender healthcare.It was a one-two punch from Hegseth in service of the presidents crusade against woke ideology and transgender people in the federal government and American society at large. Related Pete Hegseth appears on podcast of pastor who called for murder of transgender allies In a post to X on Thursday, anti-LGBTQ+ activist Chaya Raichik who writes under the name Libs of TikTok maligned the Navys Dr. Janelle Marra by highlighting the words she/her, Transgender Healthcare, and LGBTQ+ Health on a screenshot of the doctors LinkedIn profile.Apparently, those terms were evidence enough for Hegseth of the commanders unfitness to serve. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today He reposted Raichiks vilifying post with the words, She/her/fired.This might be one of the most hateful tweets Ive seen, said one X user in the replies.Pronouns UPDATED: She/Her/Fired https://t.co/j8nboQZO9Z Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 5, 2025 Theres been no official announcement from the Defense Department of Marras firing, but it follows a parade of terminations of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community by Hegseth since the start of the current administration in January, and adds to a pattern of dismissals often carried out without formal explanation.Raichik has been designated an extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center for her rabid anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda.This is the digital stasi, said prominent trans advocate and Harvard Law School instructor Alejandra Carabello of Raichiks informer tactics and Marras firing by Hegseth just hours later. Social media influencers utilizing tips from followers for content that they monetize while working with state actors to target the people they want. Its all a spectacle packaged as content. Destroying peoples lives for profitable ideological bloodsport.Anything as innocuous as a pride flag can cause a federal investigation now or people to lose their jobs, Carabello added. The spectacle is there to create fear in everyone else that they need to comply or they are next.This is the digital stasi. Social media influencers utilizing tips from followers for content that they monetize while working with state actors to target the people they want.It's all a spectacle packaged as content. Destroying people's lives for profitable ideological bloodsport. Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net) 2025-09-05T12:56:59.685ZSpace Force Col. Bree Fram, the highest-ranking transgender officer in the US Armed Forces and now on administrative leave pending separation under the administrations latest ban on transgender service members, praised Marras service and denounced her treatment by Hegseth.Janelle Marra is an outstanding Navy doctor who volunteered to serve and has done far more than this country asked of her, Fram posted on social. In 2018, she was named the top female doctor in the military health system.And this is the thanks she gets from her nation?Marra has since updated her LinkedIn page to remove her pronouns and profile photo and added a disclaimer reading, This profile does not represent the opinions of the DoD, DHA, Navy, or other government entities.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

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